Influence of the anthropization of streams in the Cantareira-Mantiqueira System on the biochemical and physiological responses of fish

• Grant number: 24/09425-9
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Physiology of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: ALINE DAL OLIO GOMES
• Grantee: ALINE DAL OLIO GOMES
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Carlos Eduardo Tolussi ; Gabriel Lourenço Brejão

Abstract

Aquatic environments are being highly modified by changes in the natural landscape and the intensification of land use, particularly through urbanization and agriculture, which contribute to the degradation of water quality. Ecosystem alterations are also associated with changes in the quality and quantity of food resources, affecting energy and nutrient flow patterns, including fatty acids (FAs) throughout the food chain. In rivers and streams, periphyton is an important source of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs), such as EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), and ARA (arachidonic acid), for freshwater and terrestrial animals. These FAs are mainly produced by specific algal taxa. The degradation of stream habitats associated with increased nutrient concentrations has led to changes in the composition of the periphytic community, resulting in alterations in the availability of fatty acids along the trophic chain. This variation in lipid quality is physiologically significant, as FAs serve as an energy source, hormone precursors, and structural components of cell membranes; therefore, higher trophic levels, including fish, must have unrestricted access to these molecules. Additionally, environmental changes have the potential to cause histopathological modifications and oxidative stress responses, such as membrane phospholipid peroxidation, directly impacting fish health. Based on this, the aim of this study is to investigate the influence of anthropogenic impacts on streams in the Cantareira-Mantiqueira system on the biochemical and physiological responses of fish, with possible implications for their health. (AU)