Integrated biomarker responses in the hepatopancreas of the bivalve, Mactra veneriformis (Reeve, 1854) from the Yellow River Estuary, China

Abstract

An improved integrated biomarker responses (IBR) was used to get the salinity threshold range of bivalves from the yellow river estuary in present study. A suite of antioxidant biomarkers were measured to test the effects of increased salinity stress on the hepatopancreas of the bivalve Mactra veneriformis on days 0, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 15. We analyzed the combined effects of biomarkers on day 15 using the IBR method, the IBR values of the bivalves exposed to 28 and 30 ppt were significantly higher than that in the control group, and there was no significant difference between the salinity groups (22, 24 and 26 ppt) and the control group, which suggested that the salinity threshold range causing adverse effects in the bivalves, was 26 ppt to 28 ppt. These findings indicated that the IBR approach might be a useful tool to evaluate the effect of higher salinity stress on estuarine organisms.