Genotoxicity induced by Roundup® (Glyphosate) in Tegu lizard (Salvator merianae) embryos

LAURA G. SCHAUMBURG; GISELA L. POLETTA; PABLO A. SIROSKI; MARTA D. MUDRY

PESTICIDE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY

ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2016

0048-3575

Environmental contaminants produce multiple adverse consequences at individual, population and ecosystem levels. High volumes of agrochemicals applied to great variety of crops together with agricultural expansions generate great concerns due to the impact for the environment and large risk implicated for wildlife. The lack of data on these threats is striking. Tegu lizard (Salvator merianae) is one of the species that live in environments under contaminants effects. Several characteristics allow proposing this species as a potential sentinel organism for monitoring of pesticide in their habitat. The present study is the first report about genotoxicity in tegu lizard neonates after embryonic exposure to Roundup® (Glyphosate 66.2%). The Micronucleus test (MN), Nuclear Abnormalities (NAs) assay and Comet Assay (CA) were used as biomarkers of genotoxic effects induced in erythrocytes by topical exposure to the glyphosate commercial formulation Roundup® (RU) in laboratory controlled conditions. A total of 96 eggs were distributed in six groups exposed to RU (50, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 μg/egg), one positive control (PC; 200 μg cyclophosphamide/egg) and one negative control (NC; distilled water). No teratogenic effects were observed in any of the exposed or control neonates. A significant increase in DNA damage was observed in all concentrations higher than 100 μg/egg with respect to NC (p 0.05). Our results provide new information about the undesirable effects of the glyphosate-based herbicide formulations RU on this lizard species that inhabits areas permanently exposed to this and other pesticides formulations. We consider of utmost necessity a strict regulation of the agrochemical application conditions in those environments near to places where wild populations of terrestrial and aquatic species lives, in order to minimize the adverse effects on ecosystems.