Seasonal variation of antioxidant and biotransformation enzymes in barnacle, Balanus balanoides, and their relation with polyaromatic hydrocarbons

Seasonal variations in the antioxidant enzymes (catalase, superoxide dismutase SOD], NADH-DT diaphorase), biotransformation enzyme, glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and microsomal lipid peroxidation in digestive tissue of barnacle, Balanus balanoides, from polluted and non-polluted populations have been evaluated. Relationships with accumulated polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentration in barnacle tissues and environmental parameters (water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen concentration, water pH) were determined. As a general trend, maximum antioxidant enzyme and GST activities were detected in the pre-monsoon period or summer (March-June) followed by a gradual decrease during the monsoon (July October) with a minimum in the post-monsoon period or winter (November February). This pattern was similar to tissue concentrations of PAHs, resulting in a significant positive correlation with antioxidant enzymes, mainly catalase and SOD. Microsomal lipid peroxidation exhibited an almost reverse trend of seasonal variation to that of antioxidant enzyme activities indicating an enhanced susceptibility of barnacle tissues to oxidative stress. Among the environmental parameters, only water temperature seemed to have a significant effect on observed variations of antioxidant enzymes and GST activities. The barnacles from polluted and non-polluted populations exhibited seasonal differences in the activities of all the enzymes studied, particularly catalase, SOD and GST, suggesting the possibility of some biochemical adaptation in organisms from a chronically polluted environment. The results indicated that antioxidant defense components, catalase and SOD, are sensitive parameters that could be useful biomarkers for the evaluation of contaminated aquatic ecosystems. The results also suggested the potentiality of barnacle, B. balanoides, as a bioindicator organism against organic pollution.