INFLUENCE OF PROFENOFOS ON SELECTED BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS IN THE LIVER OF ALBINO RAT

Abstract

As new applications for many organophosphate (OP) compounds are discovered, the use of OP compounds has gained importance and this trend is like to continue in the years ahead. In many developing countries, particularly in India, pesticides are being indiscriminately used at every stage to kill a variety of pests that cause harm to agricultural crops.  Unfortunately these pesticides are causing lot of metabolic disturbances to the non-target organisms and human beings in particular.  Profenofos, an OP insecticide is used on a variety of crops Lepidopterans and mites.  It is especially used to control various white flies’ effect on vegetables. It is also used extensively in household applications.  Hence the objective of the present study is  to examine the effect of 1/10^th of LD₅₀ of Profenofos (i.e 39.5mg/kg body weight) was studied in the liver with reference to the important metabolites and enzymes of protein metabolism in  Albino rat after exposure to 10, 20 and 30 days respectively. All the experimental male Albino rats were administered with 39.5mg/kg body weight orally with an interval of 48h.  The experiment was carried out for 30 days. Animals were randomly divided into four groups.  The first group served as control.  Second group of animals were exposed to Profenofos for 10 days, third and fourth groups of animals were exposed for 20 days and 30 days respectively. From the results it is clear that continuous exposure to Profenofos alters important parameters of protein metabolism. Total proteins showed a decrement in Profenofos exposed groups while the rest of the parameters showed an increase and this increase was more in 30 days when compared to 20 days and 10 days administered groups. All the parameters studied in the present investigation were severely affected in Profenofos exposed Albino rats.