Abstract
ABSTRACTExperimentation in mammals is a long and expensive process in which ethical aspects must be considered, which has led the scientific community to develop alternative models such as that of Galleria mellonella. This model is a cost and time effective option to act as a filter in the drug discovery process. The main limitation of this model is the lack of variety in the solvents used to administer compounds, which limits the compounds that can be studied using this model. Five aqueous (DMSO, MeOH, acetic acid, HCl and NaOH) and four non-aqueous (olive oil, isopropyl myristate, benzyl benzoate and ethyl oleate) solvents was assessed to be used as vehicles for toxicity and antimicrobial activity in vivo assays. All the tested solvents were innocuous at the tested concentrations except for NaOH, which can be used at a maximum concentration of 0.5 M. The toxicity of two additional compounds, 5-aminosalicylic acid and DDT, was also assessed. The results obtained allow for the testing of a broader range of compounds using wax moth larvae. This model appears as an alternative to mammal models, by acting as a filter in the drug development process and reducing costs and time invested in new drugs.
Highlights
When a new drug proves to be effective in vitro, it is important to study in vivo toxicity and activity, for which animal models are normally employed [1,2]
Out of the 9 solvents selected for their toxicity assessment in the G. mellonella larvae model, it was observed that all were innocuous at the tested concentrations except for NaOH (Table 2)
Ignasiak et al studied the correlation between rodent and G. mellonella models for toxicity and antibacterial activity assays
Summary
When a new drug proves to be effective in vitro, it is important to study in vivo toxicity and activity, for which animal models are normally employed [1,2]. The 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement) have become a working standard for high quality scientific production in the academic and industrial sector, focusing on the development of alternative models that reduce the use of animals [3]. With these disadvantages in mind, non-mammal models have been developed which, by being cheaper and not having to take any ethical considerations into account, can be applied as a first filter, reducing mammal use and the global cost associated to drug development
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