Effects of varying sulfur dioxide exposure to the extent of lipd peroxidation in Drosophila melanogaster.

Abstract

This study investigated the extent of lipid peroxidation in the conditions of varying oxidative stress concentrations of SO₂ (0, 0.04, and 0.4 ppm) to Drosophila melanogaster larvae. Catalase activity and levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in adult male and female D. melanogaster were measured spectrophotometrically. Results showed no significant effect on the lipid peroxidation of the organisms exposed to 0.04 ppm SO₂ but the mean catalase activity decreased and TBARS levels increased when the organism was exposed to 0.4 ppm SO₂ as compared to the unexposed control group. The effect of sex differences on the catalase activity and TBARS concentration was not statistically significant. These findings suggest that TBARS levels could be useful as potential biomarkers in the Drosophila model for low level SO₂ pollution.