AGE-DEPENDENT PECULIARITIES OF THE OXIDATIVE STRESS PARAMETERS AND ANTIOXIDANTS CONTENT IN THE LIVER OF SCORPION FISH SCORPAENA PORCUS L. IN THE COASTAL WATERS OF THE BOLSHOI CAUCASUS

Comparative study of size-weight characteristics, lipid peroxidation (LPO) parameters and antioxidants content in the liver of marine scorpion fish Scorpaena porcus caught in the coastal waters of the Caucasus at the region of Shepsy village demonstrated age-related differences. The increase of the size and weight, the mass of the liver and gonads was observed in the elder fish, while the condition index varied less. Liver somatic index (LSI) increased in 2-3 years old animals, in the elder fish the growth of this parameters was slowly. Significant increase of gonadosomatic index (GSI) was noted in 4-5 years old animals, while the differences between 2 and 3 years groups were not observed. Lipid oxidation index and relative concentration of the ketodiens did not vary in age. Content of dien conjugates in hepatic lipids was significantly lower (p<0,001) in 3-4 years old fish as compared with the parameters of other studied age groups. TBA-reactive products concentration in the hepatic lipids increased with age and the highest values were observed in 5-6 years old animals. Significant correlation was shown between the content of TBA-reactive products in fish liver and the animals age (r = 0,88, p<0,05), while between the other studied parameters and fish age no significant relations were noted. Vitamin A and carotenoids concentration did not vary with age, however the tendency to increase was observed in 4 years old fish. The reasons of the growth of reactive oxygen species processes (ROS) and the increase of lipid peroxidation compounds concentration can be connected with the decrease of the defense mechanisms of the organism and the damage biomolecules, genetic defects, cell pathologies, tissues and organs and accumulation of xenobiotics in the fish, which impact the organism, accompanied with the oxidative stress. In elder animals the concentration of toxic substances is greater, and together with the decrease of the defense systems the cumulative toxic effect becomes mote considarable. The obtained results in this study provide the additional information for the understanding of the mechanisms of ROS theory of aging at the case of vertebrates of the natural populations. Further investigations could be strengthening to the study the role of endo- and exogenous conditions, modulating the age processes in aquatic organisms, which is important for the ontogenesis mechanisms and they dependence on natural and anthropogenic factors.

The Relationship between Integrated Biochemical Index and Content of Organochlorine Xenobiotics in the Liver of the Black Scorpion Fish Scorpaena porcus Linnaeus, 1758, from Sevastopol Bays and Coastal Areas

Despite the ban on the use of organochlorine compounds (OCs), they are still widely distributed in various components of the Black Sea ecosystem, including fish. Sevastopol marine area, as a region of active economic use, is subject to significant anthropogenic impact. To assess the condition of the Black Sea scorpion fish Scorpaena porcus Linnaeus, 1758, from Sevastopol bays (Aleksandrovskaya, Streletskaya, Balaklavskaya, and Kazach’ia) and coastal areas (Laspi bay and Lyubimovka region), the liver of fish was analyzed to compare integrated biomarker response (IBR) and the concentrations of OCs: six indicator congeners of polychlorinated biphenyls (ΣPCB6) and organochlorine pesticides – р,p’-DDT and its metabolites p,p’-DDE and p,p’-DDD (ΣDDT). High concentrations of PCBs and DDTs were found in fish liver from Alexandrovskaya and Streletskaya bays, which are subject to significant anthropogenic impact: 2044 and 2019 ng/g wet weight for ΣPCB6 and 162 and 319 ng/g wet weight for ΣDDT, respectively. To determine the response of scorpion fish to the level of pollution, the liver of fish was analyzed to measure such biochemical markers as cholinesterase and catalase activities, albumin content, and the levels of oxidized proteins and lipid peroxidation. The set of these biochemical markers was used to calculate IBR. IBR correlated well with the ΣPCB6 concentration in sediments and liver of scorpion fish (r=0.95, p<0.05). The maximum IBR was determined in the most polluted Alexandrovskaya and Streletskaya bays, where it was two orders of magnitude higher than the IBR in Laspi bay. Based on IBR values, the fish from Laspi and Kazach’ia bays and from the coastal area of Lyubimovka were in better condition than the fish from Alexandrovskaya, Streletskaya, and Balaklavskaya bays in summer seasons of 2016-2018

Feeding ecology of black scorpion fish (Scorpaena porcus Linnaeus, 1758) in SE Black Sea region, (Ordu) Turkey

Black scorpion fish (Scorpaena porcus) is an important species for both artisanal and industrial fisheries in the Turkish Black Sea, with 306 tonnes landed in 2017. The diet composition of this species was investigated through the examination of their stomach contents. A total of 621 S. porcus (ranging from 12.79–765.5 g) were caught by trammel net in the south-eastern Black Sea (Turkish waters) from December 2015 to November 2016. The importance of prey items in the diet of S. porcus was assessed using the Index of Relative Importance (%IRI). Overall, the dominant species was the isopod Idotea balthica (52.8%IRI) followed by decapods (38.5%IRI) and teleosts (8.7%IRI). Seasonal variations in the diets were observed, with isopods predominant in autumn (>85%IRI), teleosts in winter (>77%IRI) and decapod crustaceans (>78%IRI) in spring and summer. The modified Costello's graphical analysis evinced a specialist feeding strategy for S. porcus during winter, spring and autumn while a shift to generalistic feeding strategy was exhibited in summer by a limited number of S. porcus individuals.

Variability of the hepatic α-amilase activities in the liver of fish species from the Sevastopol bays, Black Sea

This paper presents the results of a study of α-amylase activity in liver of widely represented species of twelve Black sea fish. Comparative analysis of interspecies differences showed that the medium level of enzyme activity is very high only in liver of annular seabream and horse mackerel. The Black Sea predators (scorpion fish, stargazer, shore rockling, whiting) have low values of the medium level of enzyme activity (range from 0,02 to 62,79 mg / s / g of protein). Enzyme activity did not depend on fish sex, their age and location. Research has established lack of any link between activity of enzyme and age for both the scorpion fish and high body pickarel. While studying the effects of seasonal features on enzyme activity in the liver of two dominant species in the coastal zone, it was concluded that enzyme activity is lower in winter than in other seasons.

GENDER PECULIARITIES OF THE OXIDATIVE STRESS PARAMETERS AND ANTIOXIDANTS CONTENT IN THE LIVER OF SCORPION FISH SCORPAENA PORCUS L. (SCORPAENIDAE),FROM THE COASTAL WATERS OF THE BOLSHOI CAUCASUS

Comparative study of size and weight characteristics, lipid peroxidation (LPO) parameters and antioxidants content in the liver of marine scorpion fish Scorpaena porcus caught in the coastal waters of the Caucasus at the region of Shepsy village demonstrated gender differences. Size and weight parameters of the female were greater than the values of male (p<0,05), while condition index and the height of fish were the similar. Liver index (LSI) and gonadosomatic index (GSI) were higher in female as compared with male. Concentration of dien conjugates and TBA-reactive components were greater in hepatic lipids of female. Concentration of vitamin A and carotenoids was higher in the liver of female than in male. The differences of LPO parameters and antioxidants content were more clearly in the hepatic lipids than in tissues. Gender differences of size, weight, morphological and physiological indices, lipid peroxidation parameters and antioxidants content in fish reflect the specificity of metabolic processes in the liver of scorpion fish male and female, caused the hormonal peculiarities. High LSI and liver weight of female as compared with male are connected with high metabolic rate of the organ caused egg components ( vitellogenin) and energetic substances synthesis, used in reproduction. Increase of metabolic rate is accompanied with the elevate of reactive oxygen species production and lipid peroxidation. Therefore, TBA-reactive products concentration in the liver was in 4-fold greater in female as compared with male. Additionally, the ratio of studied LPO components was also differed in female and male liver (1:0,32:1,1:1,5 in female and 1:0,16:1,8:0,4 ), which revealed the differences between metabolic processes in male and female liver. This is important to take into account at the case of monitoring studies for the fish responses on the environmental stress and at the evaluation of the ecological status of marine waters.

Organochlorine compounds in scorpion fish Scorpaena porcus Linnaeus, 1758 in the Sevastopol marine area (Black Sea): spatial distribution and biological response

Despite the ban on the use of organochlorine compounds (OCs), they are still widely distributed in various components of the Black Sea ecosystem, including fish. Sevastopol marine area, as a region of active economic use, is a subject of significant anthropogenic impact. The levels of OCs contamination in the scorpion fish Scorpaena porcus Linnaeus, 1758, which leads a sedentary life, can serve as an indicator of such impact. The organochlorine compounds were determined in 58 samples of white muscles, gonads and liver of the scorpion fish captured in 2016–2017 in the various bays of Sevastopol (Aleksandrovskaya, Balaklava, Kazach’ya, Streletskaya, Laspi), as well as in the open coastal water area (the area of the Lyubimovka village). The qualitative and quantitative analyses of organochlorine pesticides and six indicator congeners of polychlorinated biphenyls were performed by gas chromatography with a micro-electron capture detector. To determine the response of scorpion fish to the contamination level, such biochemical markers, as alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, catalase activities, albumin content, level of oxidative protein modification and malondialdehyde concentration, were studied in the liver of fish from these areas. The OCs content in fish depended on the contamination of the fish habitat. The highest OCs level is in fish organs from bays (Alexandrovskaya, Streletskaya, Balaklava), and the smallest – in the fish organs from open Laspi Bay. The accumulation of OCs in the scorpion fish organs differed according to the lipid content in their tissues. The maximum rates of OCs concentrations were in the liver of fish catch from all investigated regions, the minimum – in the gonads (from bays samples) and in the white muscles (from open areas samples). The obtained relationships between the OCs content and biochemical parameters indicate the weakening of antioxidant protection and the increasing of oxidative stress in fish as a result of the xenobiotic accumulation.

Tabriz in The Way of the World: Cosmopolitics on the Margins

This study explores a specific and paradigmatic episode of Nicolas Bouvier’s The Way of the World: the long stopover in the Iranian city of Tabriz given the winter conditions. The analysis focuses on the cosmopolitical and multicultural dimension of Tabriz, but also considers the character of a geographically marginal city, guardian of a way of life which inspires and encourages creativity. Essentially left open to chance encounters, Bouvier experiences the abandonment of self and even unveils a desire for metamorphosis, later to be found in The Scorpion-Fish.