The impact of carbofuran on acetylcholinesterase activity in Anisakis simplex larvae from Baltic herring

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of carbofuran, a carbamate pesticide on the enzymatic activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the larvae of the herring nematode parasite Anisakis simplex. A. simplex larvae collected from herring were exposed to carbofuran in vivo at concentrations of 50, 100, 500 and 1000 μg/l, for 24, 48 and 72 h, at a temperature of 4 °C. Generalized Linear Models (GLM) were applied to analyze the relationship between AChE activity and carbofuran concentration, the time of exposure and the biological parameters of the host. The results indicate that A. simplex larvae have a high threshold of sensitivity to carbofuran. The average enzymatic activity was higher in parasites obtained from male hosts, when compared with female hosts. These data suggest that host sex-dependent biological processes may also influence AChE enzymatic activity in parasites.