Induction of oxidative stress in a freshwater ciliated microorganism Paramecium sp., after treatment with Indoxacarb

Many years, protozoa are used as cellular models in toxicological studies and as bio-indicators of water pollution. They allow specifying the interaction between a test molecule and target cells. The main objective of our work was to study the effect of an insecticide: Indoxacarb on freshwater ciliated microorganism: Paramecium sp. We tested the effect of this xenobiotic at different concentrations (10, 20, 40 and 80iM) on aliquots of 50ml of culture of paramecium done beforehand. The results obtained showed that the growth of paramecium was sensitive at the high concentrations to the product. The toxicity was evaluated by determining the IC 50. The dosage of enzymes of phase II including glutathione S-transferase and antioxidants (catalase and ascorbate - peroxidase) showed fluctuations with time and concentration of the xenobiotic. The measurement of respiratory activity showed inhibition of oxygen consumption reflecting a deleterious effect of this insecticide.