Modulation of biochemical stress initiated by toxicants in diet prepared with fish smoked with polyethylene (plastic) materials as fuel source

This study investigated the oxidative modulation potentials of diets supplemented with Solanum lycopersicum and Allium cepa against biochemical changes initiated in rats fed diet prepared with fish smoked with polyethylene material (FSP) and fish smoked with firewood (FSF). Thirty male Wistar albino rats were randomly grouped into six with five rats in each group. The biochemical parameters analyzed indicated significant (p < 0.05) increases in the activities of liver enzymes [alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST)] and concentration of total bilirubin and malondialdehyde (MDA) in rats maintained on diets prepared with FSF and FSP only when compared to rats maintained on rats pellets only and rats maintained on the supplemented diets. These groups of rats also presented significant (p < 0.05) fluctuations in activities of glutathione peroxidise (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) and concentrations of total protein, albumin, total cholesterol and glutathione (GSH). However, the S. lycopersicum and A. cepa treated groups showed significant restoration towards their respective normal control values. These results indicate that smoking as a food processing method (especially using polyethylene materials) generates oxidants that may induce oxidative damage. The antioxidative role of A. cepa and S. lycopersicum in the diets of treated animals emphasized their hepatoprotective potentials.Keywords: Smoked fish, polyethylene, S. lycopersicum, A. cepa, oxidants, antioxidative, toxicant

Toxicological Impacts of Gas flaring and Other Petroleum Production Activities in Niger-Delta Environment

In this study, the concentrations of inducers of environmental toxicity such as heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and biomarkers of environmental toxicants such as oxidative stress enzymes/compounds and liver function enzymes were determined. These parameters were used to assess the pollution status of some Niger-Delta areas; Ebocha/Omoku, Abacheke/Egbema, and Okwuzi/Ohaji, with the aid of two indicator species: cat fish (Ictalurus punctatus) and snakehead fish (Channa argus) from three different water sources; Ebocha/Omoku river, Abacheke river and Okwuzi creek all of which are within the area of oil exploration and production activities in Nigeria. The control fish and water samples were collected from Otamiri River within the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria, with no known oil exploration and production activity. The results obtained indicated significant (p < 0.05) differences between the exploited and the unexploited environment and the need to incorporate biochemical markers in environmental impact assessment of aquatic environments to complements the classical chemical monitoring.Â