Fourier transform infrared study of protein secondary structural changes in the muscle of Labeo rohita due to arsenic intoxication

Protein is one of the most important nutrients in human diets and fish has become an increasingly important source of protein in most of the developing countries. Among the various fish tissues, muscle is the major contributor of proteins and the whole mass of the body. The goal of this study is to assess the changes in the biochemical compositions in general, and the protein structural changes in particular, in the muscle of Labeo rohita fingerlings due to arsenic intoxication using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The results of the present study indicate that arsenic intoxication induces significant alteration in the major biochemical compositions such as proteins, lipids and nucleic acids of Labeo rohita. Further, the results clearly indicate considerable change in the composition of muscle proteins due to arsenic intoxication. It is therefore concluded that FT-IR spectroscopy can be a successful detection tool in toxicological research.