Assessment of the impacts of glyphosate and its commercial formulation Roundup® on the respiratory tree of the sea cucumber Holothuria forskali using a multivariate biomarker approach

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) Vol. 269; p. 129376
• Main Authors: Telahigue, Khaoula, Rabeh, Imen, Hajji, Tarek, Trabelsi, Wafa, Fouzai, Chaima, Nechi, Salwa, Chelbi, Emna, El Cafsi, M’hamed, Soudani, Nejla
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-04-2021
• Subjects: Animals; Biomarkers; Fatty acid; Glycine - analogs & derivatives; Glyphosate; Glyphosate-based herbicide; Herbicides - toxicity; Histopathology; Holothuria; Holothurians; Hydrogen Peroxide; Redox status; Sea Cucumbers; Trees; Glyphosate-based herbicide; Redox status; Histopathology; Fatty acid; Holothurians
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.129376

In this study, the potential hazardous impacts of the technical grade glyphosate acid (GLY) and its commercial formulation roundup (RD®) were evaluated for the first time on holothurians. To do this, redox status, fatty acid (FA) profile, and histopathology aspects were assessed in the respiratory tree tissue of the sea cucumber Holothuria forskali following short-term exposure (96 h) to a series of concentrations (10, 100 and 1000 μg L−1) of GLY and RD® (glyphosate acid equivalent). Our results showed that both GLY and RD® promoted oxidative stress highlighted with an increase of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA), lipid peroxides (LOOH) and advanced oxidation protein product (AOPP) levels in all treated groups. In addition, both glyphosate forms were found to perturb the FA composition. However, changes in saturated (SFA) and polyunsaturated (PUFA) including some essential FA (LA, ARA, EPA and DHA) revealed differential compensatory/adaptive processes in H. forskali depending on the treatment. GLY and RD® were also found to modulate the enzymatic (glutathione S-transferases, glutathione peroxidase and catalase) and non-enzymatic (reduced glutathione and ascorbic acid) antioxidant defense status. Taken together, our results revealed that the commercial formulation produced more pronounced effects on H. forskali respiratory tree than the pure form. This finding was further confirmed by the histological observations.
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•Glyphosate and roundup® induced oxidative stress in exposed Holothuria forskali.•Both glyphosate and roundup® altered the respiratory tree antioxidant system.•Exposure to glyphosate and roundup® changed the fatty acid profile.•Glyphosate and roundup® altered the respiratory tree histological structure.•Commercial formulation produced more pronounced effects than the pure form.