Measurement of Malondialdehyde as a Biomarker of Lipid Oxidation in Fish
Milena Rizzo
Abstract
Oxidative reactions are key part of the stress response in marine organisms, which are exposed to a wide variety of environmental stressors. Lipid peroxidation (LPO) occurs in response to oxidant attack, giving rise to unsaturated aldehydes as malondialdehyde (MDA), the main biomarker for LPO assessment. Levels of MDA are measured in biological samples of different fish matrices to determine the oxidative effect of physical or chemical agents, particularly represented by metals. The most used assay is the spectrophotometric determination of thiobarbituric acid (TBA) as MDA-TBA2 adduct. Selectivity is enhanced by separating the adduct by chromatographic methods such as high-performance liquid chromatography or by using alternative derivatization reagents. Because, in biological organism, MDA is found free or protein bound, the two forms should be measured, and the extraction procedures are a crucial step in the processing of the biological sample. This review focused on MDA determination procedures used to assess the effect of experimental and environmental stress induced in fish.