Effect of nano-alumina on carbonylated proteins and malondialdehyde content in goldfish (Carassius auratus) gills

Objectives: Aquatic ecosystems are the largest natural environments which are constantly faced with the threats such as deterioration in genetic and biological diversity. The global consumption of nanoparticles is rising, resulting in both increased levels of environmental contamination and increased risks with regard to adverse effects on wildlife. In present study, the goal was to evaluate the possible toxic effect of nano-alumina (n-Al2O3) in goldfish (Carassius auratus).Materials Methods: Fish specimens were acclimated to laboratory conditions for 2 weeks under natural photoperiod in aerated and dechlorinated tap water glass aquaria. Three certain concentrations of nano-alumina 5, 10 and 20 mg/L were used for of 28 days. At the end, tissue homogenates were prepared and the content of oxidative stress biomarkers viz. malondialdehyde (MDA) and carbonylated proteins (Carbonyl groups) were measured in fish gills spectrophotometrically. In our work, lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation were measured in terms of MDA and Carbonyl groups, respectively.Results and Conclusion: Based on our results, nano-alumina caused a severe oxidative stress in fish gill tissues (p 0.05) via a marked elevation in the content of both MDA and carbonylated proteins. It is clear that goldfish respond to the presence of nano-Alumina by up-regulation in the content of oxidative stress markers. The increase in mentioned markers might be regulated by some ROS-intermediates whose levels increased under fish treatment with nano-Alumina.