Raphidascaroides brasiliensis (Nematoda: Anisakidae) infection and Bioaccumulation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Gymnarchus niloticus (Cuvier, 1829) in Lekki Lagoon, Nigeria.

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The study aimed at determining the ability of Raphidascaroides brasiliensis to depurate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in its host, Gymnarchus niloticus. PAHs levels were determined in the water, sediments, intestine of Gymnarchus niloticus and its enteric parasites sampled at Lekki Lagoon, Nigeria. PAHs were determined using High Performance Liquid Chromatograph (HPLC) (Prominence Dual brand from HGE) equipped with a detector Shimadzu UV-Visible (UV-Vis Prominence SPD 20 A). The levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione (GSH), lipid peroxidation (MDA) and bioaccumulation in the fish intestine, liver and parasites were assessed as biomarkers. Analyses were conducted equally for the infected and uninfected fishes. The sequence of accumulation in the environmental matrices was parasite > intestine > sediment > water. The ratios of phenanthrene/anthracene, fluorene/pyerene and acenaphthene/fluorene in the sediment were 1.820, 29.667, and 4.33 respectively. The source indices (> 1.0) indicate a petrogenic source. The carcinogenic health risks posed by both the low and high molecular weight PAHs (0.027 and 0.476 respectively) were insignificant; hence the fish may not pose toxicological threats to the consumers. Higher levels of PAHs and biochemical biomarkers in the uninfected fish compared to the infected suggest the differences could be linked to depurative tendencies of Raphidascaroides brasiliensis which might have contributed to alleviation of the PAH burden in the host Gymnarchus niloticus. A study on significant depuration at minimal parasite intensity is warranted.

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