Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine the biochemical alterations induced by acute exposure to profenofos (OP) on esterase activity in liver, kidney, brain, blood, and muscles of Catla catla, Labeo rohita, and Cirrhinus mrigala fingerlings. Pesticides were applied to fingerlings that had been grown under optimized standard conditions maintained in a static bioassay system. The fingerlings of Catla catla, Labeo rohita, and Cirrhinus mrigala were exposed to three sub-lethal concentrations of profenofos 0.038, 0.019, 0.012; 0.06, 0.03, 0.02; and 0.041, 0.02, 0.013, respectively, for 60 days. The activity of cholinesterases (acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase) was significantly inhibited at concentrations of profenofos. Exposure to profenofos affected the functions of these organs, including metabolism and neurotransmission to varying extent at different exposure concentrations. Data indicated that profenofos produced greater inhibition of hepatic cholinesterases compared to other tissues.