Effect of Methyl Tert-Butyl Ether (MTBE) at in vitro conditions on antioxidant enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase in Rutilus caspicus (Yakovlev, 1870)

Methyl Tert-Butyl Ether (MTBE) increases oxygen consumption and reduces carbon monoxide and also air pollution. It is very active in soil, and its motility in water is a function of water movement in soil. MTBE is resistant to biodegradation, with high half-life and solubility in water and weak absorption in soil particles. The activities of SOD and CAT enzymes were examined in Rutilus caspicus in concentrations of 50, 100 and 150 mg L^-1 MTBE for 7, 14 and 21 days. The mean water temperature and oxygen were 19 ± 1°C and 7.6 ± 0.2 respectively and salinity was maintained zero. 156 R. caspicus were stocked in aquariums, 3 specimens were randomly selected from aquarium in the first, second and third weeks. Blood serum was separated to assay the SOD and CAT activities. A strong significant positive relationship was found between MTBE concentration and SOD as well as CAT: [r(108)=0.73, P 0.01]. Elevated MTBE increased the activity of SOD and CAT. In addition, there was a mean significant positive relationship between exposure time and SOD: [r(108)=0.41, P 0.01]. SOD activity increased over time, and there was a negative weak significant relationship between exposure time and CAT [r(108)=-0.20, P 0.05]. CAT activity decreased by prolonged exposure time. Moreover, there was a mean positive significant relationship between SOD and CAT [r(108)=0.41, P 0.01].