EFFECT OF AS(III) OXIDE EXPOSURE ON OXIDATIVE AND ANTIOXIDANT STATUS OF ZEBRAFISH, Danio rerio

The mechanism of arsenic toxicity on oxidative stress is currently and most widely documented (Ercal et al., 2001). Arsenic may induce oxidative stress of interacting with antioxidants and increasing inflammation, resulting in the accumulation of free radicals in cells (Halliwell and Whitemann, 2004). One of the earliest responses to arsenic toxicity is the increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in blood and soft tissues (Lin et al., 2002). ROS-induced damage to important bio molecules such as lipids, proteins, and DNA has also been used as a biological indicator for arsenic induced oxidative stress (Bobrowicz et al., 2002; Noreault et al., 2005). Yamanaka et al. (1989 and 1991) are the pionear to demonstrate arsenic induced free radical formation. The major arsenic induced ROS include superoxide anion (O2), hydroxyl radical (•OH), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), singlet oxygen (O2) and peroxyl radicals.