Effects of heavy metals on superoxide dismutase (SOD) of Crassostrea rivularis

In order to understand potential of antioxidant enzyme in Crassostrea rivularis as a biomarker of heavy metal pollution in mariculture water, effects of metal ions Cu2+, Pb2+ and Zn2+ on the activity of SOD in gills and digestive glands of C.rivularis were observed under the laboratory condition. The results demonstrated that Cu2+, Pb2+ and Zn2+ all of them induced the changes in SOD activity both in gills and digestive glands of oysters, but the changes in digestive glands was larger than those in gills under the present of same metals due to the difference in structure and function between them. The dose-effect curves of the activity of SOD induced by the different concentrations of Pb2+and Zn2+ both in gills and digestive glands were parabola. But for Cu2+, it didn’t accord with parabola in gills, and did in digestive glands. Based on the induction multiples of the activity of SOD in soft tissues of C. rivularis under the present of low concentration of metals, the order of the toxicity of the three metals to C. rivularis was Cu2+Pb2+Zn2+. The activity of SOD in digestive glands of C. rivularis could be used as a biomarker of monitoring heavy metals pollution in water, but the further studies should be carried out in the future.