CHANGES IN GLUTATHIONE PEROXIDASE, SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE AND CATALASE LEVELS

ABSTRACT

Pollution poses a significant threat to aquatic ecosystems and the organisms that live within them. This descriptive overview examines the effect of environmental pollution in Slaughter, Nifor dump, Okuo diete and capitol axis of Benin on the concentration of three important antioxidant enzymes, glutathione peroxidase(GPx), catalase(CAT) and superoxide dismutase(SOD) located in the head region of Xenopus laevis. The heads of the Xenopus laevis tadpoles collected from these contaminated sites were dissected and GPx, CAT and SOD values were measured and compared. It was shown that these enzymes play a central role in detoxifying reactive oxygen species (ROS) and maintaining the oxidative balance of the organism. Their decreased activity suggests that environmental pollution in the sites of interest is negatively impacting the antioxidant defense system of Xenopus laevis tadpole, making them vulnerable to oxidative stress and related health problem. Reduced antioxidant enzyme activity in the tadpoles presents potentially negative effects on both amphibians populations and the ecosystem as a whole. Therefore, effective pollution prevention measures and conservation efforts are needed to minimize these negative impacts on the aquatic habitats of Xenopus laevis in Benin environs.