ABSTRACT
Aquatic animals have the ability to live in contaminated regions, primarily due to defense mechanisms that allow detoxification, excretion, antioxidant protection, and the stress response (Bard 2000, Li et al. 2010). Recent studies indicate that the BPA toxicity in fish may be related to an increased production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) leading to oxidative damage. To counteract the toxicity of ROS, aerobic organisms scavenge the free radicals using enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants. However, when the level of ROS overcomes the antioxidant defences of the cell, the intracellular redox homeostasis is altered and oxidative damage ensues. Therefore, oxidative stress indices and antioxidant parameters, as potential biomarkers, are used as fast screening tools for the assessment of different stress impacts in environment.
