Impact of metal accumulation pattern on the annual rhythmicity of antioxidants and their interrelationship to maintain the oxidative balance in mollusc

Abstract

A chronological relationship between the annual profiles of oxidative stress markers, the key regulator of stress physiology has been sought in a terrestrial mollusc (Nerita articulata) under natural photothermal conditions. The hemolymph samples were collected at two different times in each month (from January to December) and the same was repeated for two consecutive years throughout an annual cycle. The fluctuations in the concentrations of certain heavy and trace metals (zinc, copper, cadmium, mercury, lead, and nickel) in both soil and hemolymph of Nerita are also estimated accordingly. Therefore, the present study aims to explore the rhythmic responses of oxidative stress marker to assess the impact of different trace and heavy metals on selected mollusc species. We tries to develop a realistic conceptual idea to analyze and predict the effect of changing environmental pollution on the possible shift in the rhythmicity of aforesaid antioxidants in terrestrial mollusc and their adaptive responses to thrive in such environment. Our results indicates that the amplitude of circannual rhythms of all the selected stress markers varied accordingly but the pattern of annual fluctuation is noted to be similar, and correlated with the metal accumulation. Therefore current information might help to frame the adaptive strategies for invertebrate species under similar toxic circumstances.

Keywords:

• Mollusc
• metal toxicity
• hemolymph
• rhythm
• antioxidant