Adverse effects of 2,4-D dimethylammonium based-herbicide on Acetylcholinesterase expression in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Abstract

In this study, the evaluation of a 2,4-D dimethylammonium based-herbicide impacted on Nile tilapia was done. The effects focus on Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) expression in the brain, gill, muscle, and plasma using antibody techniques. Our findings revealed a decrease in AChE expression with prolonged exposure. For these, AChE was purified using hydroxyapatite column chromatography. Moreover, the isolated protein was characterized as AChE by Polyclonal Ab specific to AChE through the Western blot. For interpretation at the cellular and molecular level, we employed two analytical techniques, histology, and optical coherence tomography (OCT). Alterations in the gill, liver, and muscle were observed to increase with increased exposure time. Field study concludes that AChE could serve as a biomarker to detect herbicide contamination in water and its accumulation in aquatic animals. This study may aid in surveillance and strategy formulation for managing contamination from such substances in various water sources.

Keywords: Acetylcholinesterase Herbicide; Histology; Optical Coherence Tomography.