Enzymatic production of p-nitrophenol in liver of Piaractus mesopotamicus Holmberg, 1887 was consistently assayed at pH 8.5 using 7.5 mM paraoxon as substrate. This pacu liver paraoxonase activity was activated by NaCl. Apparent values of K M were 2.42 x 10-3 M in the presence of 0.5 M NaCl and 8.99 x 10-3 M without NaCl. Apparent maximum velocity values calculated in the absence and presence of 0.5 M NaCl were 1.09 x 10-3 µmoles/min/mg of proteins and 1.29 x 100-3 µmoles/min/mg of proteins, respectively. These Vmax values are fifty-fold the value described for trout (Salmo trutta Linnaeus, 1758) liver paraoxonase. Paraoxonase activity of pacu liver homogenates was recovered as much in cytosolic as in particulate cellular subtractions, but the particulate subtractions showed higher specific activities. The data presented here indicate that hepatic hydrolysis of organophosphorous pesticides may not be an important detoxification process in pacu.
Detoxication; esterase; fish; organophosphate