Abstract The effect of chronic concentrations of detergent on serum enzymes in the gills, muscle, kidney, liver and plasma of juvenile and adult mudfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell) was investigated under static bio-assays during a 30 days’ exposure period. Concentrations of detergent used were 0.00 (control), 10.00, 20.00, 30.00, 40.00 and 50.00mg/l. Relatively, it was observed that on exposure of serum enzymes in the gills, muscle, kidney, liver and plasma of juvenile and adult Clarias gariepinus, detergent altered: Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities in all the organs of both life stages except in the muscle, liver and plasma of adult fish; Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities in both juvenile and adult fish in all the organs except in the muscle, gill and plasma of juvenile fish; Acid phosphatase (ACP) activities in all the organs except in the muscle, gill and plasma of adult fish; Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities in all the organs of juvenile and adult fish. This implies that detergent did not impact significantly (P>0.05) on AST activities in the muscle, liver and plasma of adult fish; that of the ALT activities in the muscle, gill and plasma of juvenile fish and that of the ACP activities in the muscle, gill and plasma of adult fish while it impacted significantly (P<0.05) on the ALP activities in all the organs of both life stages.
Keywords Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Acid phosphatase (ACP), Alkaline phosphatase (ALP).