Toxicological Evaluation of Lipid Profile Changes in Mystus seenghala Under Malathion Stress

Abstract

The use of organophosphate pesticides in agricultural production has led to increasing levels of contamination in freshwater sources and are a serious hazard for aquatic life. The current research focuses on examining the effects of exposure to non-lethal levels of malathion, through modified experimental studies, on the serum lipids from an important freshwater catfish species, Mystus seenghala. Using a non-lethal dose of malathion, fish were kept in a controlled laboratory environment for 1, 7, 15, 30, 45, and 60 days, respectively. The results demonstrated an overall increase of total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, and VLDL, and a decrease of serum HDL levels which was related to the length of exposure to malathion. Total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, and VLDL exhibited their highest levels at the end of 60 days, and this provides strong evidence of accumulated toxic effects of malathion.. In our case, these findings reflect on changes in lipid metabolism and dysfunction of the liver due to exposure to pesticides. The findings of this research identify serum lipids as being an appropriate biochemical marker for measuring toxicity of malathion to freshwater fish species. Disruption of the lipid function due to continuous pesticide presence may hinder the metabolic homeostasis of aquatic organisms, thus emphasising the need for controlled pesticide use and monitoring of aquatic environments.