Effects of glyphosate on ovarian maturation of Neohelice granulata adult females.

AVIGLIANO, LUCIANA; RODRIGUEZ, ENRIQUE M

Buenos Aires

Congreso; SETAC Latin America 11th Biennial Meeting; 2015

SETAC Latinoamerica

An in vivo, semistaticbioassay was carried out during the entire pre-reproductive season (92 days) ofadult females of the estuarine crab Neohelicegranulata (10.42 ± 00.14 g of body weight). Fifteen females were assigned to eachof the following glyphosate (acid form) nominal concentrations: 0.1, 1 and 2.5mg/L. A dilution water control group was also run. Each female was placed in aglass recipient filled with 400 mL ofartificial saline water (12 g/L), pH was always set at 7.8 ± 0.1. Continuouswater aeration, as well as controlled conditions of temperature (22 ºC) and photoperiod (14:10L:D) were maintained throughout. During the assay, animals were fed two times aweek with food pellets and fresh leaves of Elodea sp ad libitum.Replacement of test solutions was made twice a week. At the end of the assay,ovaries from all females were dissected, weighed and fixed for histologicalanalysis, in order to quantify the proportion of each oocyte type in the ovary(pre-vitellogenic, intermediate or vitellogenic), as well as the proportion ofreabsorbed oocytes. The gonadosomatic index (ovarian weight/ body weight x 100)of females exposed to any glyphosate concentration was lower than that ofcontrol, although significant (p<0.05) differences were found only at thehighest glyphosate concentration. Correspondingly, at this concentration asignificantly (p<0.05) lower proportion of vitellogenic oocyte was observed,compared to control, together with a significantly (p<0.05) higher increasein the proportion of reabsorbed oocytes. These results stress the risk ofglyphosate (as active principle of any commercial formulation) to thereproductive potential of the wild crustacean species studied.