EFFECT OF QUINALPHOS ON EISENIA FETIDA EARTHWORM BIOMARKERS FOR ASSESSING QUINALPHOS TOXICITY: EVIDENCE FROM EISENIA FETIDA

Abstract

Earthworms are an integral part of an agricultural ecosystem, contributing to soil fertility, increasing soil structure, and nutrient cycling. Crop quality and, consequently, soil fertility have drastically declined as a result of the growing use of pesticides in agricultural areas. Earthworms, which greatly improve the fertility and quality of agricultural soil, are reportedly among the animals most negatively impacted by these conditions. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of the quinalphos organophosphate insecticide on the beneficial non-target organism Eisenia fetida as well as the biomarkers that show these effects. The most suitable and dependable model organism for a wide variety of environmental studies is the species E. fetida . Following 48 h of exposure to varying concentrations of quinalphos (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 µg/ml), the median lethal concentration (LC50) for E. fetida was found to be 1.2 µg/ml, suggesting a significant and lethal effect on the earthworms. For 24, 48, and 72 h, the E. fetida were exposed to a sublethal dosage of LC25 (0.57 µg/ml). A protein oxidation assay using protein carbonyl activity was also used to assess the antioxidant responses, which included the activity of the neurotransmitter enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE), antioxidant enzymes like catalase (CAT), lipid peroxide (LPO), and detoxification enzymes like glutathione sulfotransferase (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and glutathione (GSH). After 24, 48, and 72 h, the group exposed to quinalphos demonstrated a significant elevation in these biochemical activities when compared to controls, suggesting that exposure for 72 h  had a significant effect. These results shed important light on the increased awareness of E. fetida 's physiological defences following quinalphos exposure in agricultural environments.