Protective effect of pollen against copper sulfate-induced toxicity in scaly carp (Cyprinus carpio)

In this study was aimed to investigate protective effect of pollen against copper sulphate in carp (Cyprinus carpio). The copper sulphate was administered as two different doses at 0,5 and 1 mg/L concentrations to fish. 5 mg/kg pollen was simultaneously injected to the copper sulphate applied fish. The experiment lasted 14 days and tissue samples (liver, kidney, and gill) were taken from the fish at 7th and 14th days. In tissue samples, malondialdehyde level, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione-S-transferase activities and reduced glutathione level were analysed. The tissue malondialdehyde levels of the copper sulphate administered groups were observed to be statistically higher than the control group (p < 0.05). The tissue malondialdehyde levels were found to be lower in the groups that were applied pollen simultaneously with the copper sulphate when compared to the groups treated with the copper sulphate alone (p < 0.05). The tissue malondialdehyde levels were decreased in the group that was applied pollen alone when compared to the control group (p < 0.05). The tissue catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities and reduced glutathione levels were significantly decreased in the copper sulphate applied groups compared to the control group, while the tissue glutathione-S-transferase activities were significantly increased (p < 0.05). The tissue catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities and reduced glutathione levels were statistically higher in the groups that were applied pollen simultaneously with copper sulphate compared to the groups treated with copper sulphate alone, while the tissue glutathione-S-transferase activities were significantly lower (p < 0.05). The tissue catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities and reduced glutathione levels were increased in the group that was applied pollen alone when compared to the control group (p < 0.05). This increase was found to be insignificant for the tissue glutathione-S-transferase activities (p > 0.05).