Effect of mercuric chloride on the digestive system of a teleost fish, Channa punctatus.

The effect of 1.8 mg/liter (LC50) of mercuric chloride exposure on the activities of alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, glucose-6-phosphatase, amylase, pepsin, trypsin, tripeptidase glycyl-glycine dipeptidase and carnosinase has been examined in Channa punctatus. The three phosphatases have been inhibited in the liver but showed an increase in activity in the intestine and pyloric caeca. Amylase, pepsin and trypsin have also shown a slight increase in activity. There has been no significant alteration in the activites of the peptidases. The results show that mercury inhibits the activites of phosphatases in the liver but has no significant effect on the digestive enzymes within the experimental period of 96 hours.