Impact of Quinalphos on Blood Glucose, Liver and Muscle Glycogen, and Acetylcholinestrerase (AChE) Activity in Brain and Pancreas in Roseringed Tarakeet (Psittacula krameri Neumann)

Quinalphos, an organophosphate pesticide, was orally administered in graded sublethal doses (5 μg, 10 μg, and 20 μg/100 g b wt/day) for 10 consecutive days to study the effects on the levels of blood glucose, liver- and muscle glycogen, and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in brain and pancreas of adult male Roseringed parakeets (Psittacula Krameri). Orally administered pesticide caused a dose dependent significant augmentation of blood glucose level with concomitant depletion of hepatic glycogen level, along with a dose dependent inhibition of AChE in brain and pancreas. However, myoglycogen concentration in either of the treated birds was almost identical to that in control parakeets. The available data allow us to suggest that altered blood glucose level and hepatic glycogen concentration in quinalphos exposed parakeets may be related to the degree of pesticide induced inhibition of AChE activity in brain and/or pancreas of the concerned birds.