Food Chain Borne Effect of Cadmium and Cyanide on Some Biochemical Indices in the Liver of Rats

Abstract

       Diverse organismsuch as mammals and fishes exposure to noxious waste in the surroundings is a continuous routine and the active absorption and propagation of contaminants in humans is through the food chain. In order to determine the level of toxicity across the food chain,this research was structured to identify some biochemical alterations in the hepatic tissue of rats fed cadmium, cyanide and a mixture of cyanide and cadmium contaminated catfish diet. Fish were assigned into four groups and were exposed to both toxicants (cadmium and cyanide) in the single and combined states. Each toxicant was administered as cadmium chloride (CdCl₂) and potassium cyanide (KCN) on a dose of 0.4 mg of the toxicant/100 ml water for about four weeks in a 100 Liter capacity water plastic aquarium. Fish in group A were housed in uncontaminated water (control), group B was housed in cyanide-contaminated water, group C washoused in a cadmium-contaminated water and group D was housed in cyanide + cadmium contaminated water. Subsequently the fish were sacrificed, dried and served as protein source in the prepared diet used to feed rats. The rats were also allocated into four groups and fed for 28 days.Thereafter they were sacrificed and the liver excised for biochemical assays. The end result attained specified that consumption of the contaminated diet changed the exploits of hepatic enzymes; alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in tissue and serum of rats. A notable decrease (P<0.05) was detected in albumin, serum total protein and globulin level in the experimental rats. Also, a significant increase/decrease (P<0.05) in oxidative stress parameterswas noted in hepatic tissues of rats exposed to the contaminated diet. Thus, the discoveries of the research stipulated that interaction with cyanide and cadmium via the food-chain led to anomaly in liver function of the experimental rats so perturbing the usual metabolic actions.