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

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

PESTICIDE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY

ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2016 vol. 130 p. 71 - 78

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 sentinelorganism for monitoring of pesticide in their habitat. The present studyis the first report about genotoxicity in tegu lizard neonates afterembryonic exposure to Roundup® (Glyphosate 66.2%). The Micronucleus test(MN), Nuclear Abnormalities (NAs) assay and Comet Assay (CA) were used asbiomarkers of genotoxic effects induced in erythrocytes by topicalexposure to the glyphosate commercial formulation Roundup® (RU) inlaboratory controlled conditions. A total of 96 eggs were distributed insix groups exposed to RU (50, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 μg/egg), onepositive control (PC; 200 μg cyclophosphamide/egg) and one negativecontrol (NC; distilled water). No teratogenic effects were observed inany of the exposed or control neonates. A significant increase in DNAdamage was observed in all concentrations higher than 100 μg/egg withrespect to NC (p 0.05). Ourresults provide new information about the undesirable effects of theglyphosate-based herbicide formulations RU on this lizard species thatinhabits areas permanently exposed to this and other pesticidesformulations. We consider of utmost necessity a strict regulation of theagrochemical application conditions in those environments near to placeswhere wild populations of terrestrial and aquatic species lives, in orderto minimize the adverse effects on ecosystems.