Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
MEETCON - GLOBAL SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH CONGRESS, Tbilisi, Gürcistan, 26 - 31 Ekim 2025, cilt.1, ss.171-178, (Tam Metin Bildiri)
Global warming and drought are two of the drivers of freshwater ecosystem alteration, leading to increased salinity through intensified evaporation and reduced inflows. Such environmental stressors may disrupt physiology. Malondialdehyde (MDA) is known as an indicator of lipid peroxidation, whereas glutathione (GSH) is an antioxidant that maintains redox balance. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a model organism due to its small size, rapid development, genetic similarity to higher vertebrates, and suitability for toxicological studies. This study aimed to investigate the effects of salinity increase on MDA and GSH levels in zebrafish, thereby providing insight into potential impacts of climate change on freshwater fish health. Zebrafish were purchased from local aquarium fish breeders and transported alive to the laboratory. They were acclimated for 15 days in aerated aquaria containing dechlorinated tap water prior to the experiment. Adult zebrafish were divided into two groups: a control group maintained in freshwater with 0.0008% salinity, and a treatment group exposed to 1% salinity for 48 hours. Whole-body homogenates were prepared for biochemical analyses. All experiments were conducted using OTTO Scientific kits, following the manufacturer's protocol: MDA (OTTO 1001) and GSH (OTTO 3053). Compared to controls, MDA levels in salinity-exposed zebrafish were reduced by approximately 50% (p < 0.05), indicating a decrease in lipid peroxidation. In contrast, GSH levels showed no significant differences between groups (p > 0.05). We demonstrate that 48 hours of acute salinity exposure significantly reduces lipid peroxidation levels, while maintaining constant antioxidant capacity (GSH). It suggests that adaptive protective mechanisms are activated under salinity stress in zebrafish. Given their well-characterized physiology and genetic similarity to vertebrates, zebrafish represent a suitable model for assessing the salinity impacts of climate change on freshwater organisms.