Abstract
The active ingredient glyphosate is the most commercialized herbicide on the world market due to its capability in eliminating weeds. However, it can harm the development of non-target organisms and threaten environmental quality. This study analyzed the effects of potentially toxic concentrations of glyphosate on germination, growth, cell cycle and genomic stability of Lactuca sativa L., and identified the most sensitive variables for assessing the toxicity of this herbicide to this biomonitor. Seeds of L. sativa were germinated in Petri dishes containing a sheet of filter paper moistened with 5 mL of a concentration of glyphosate (1.34, 3.35, 6.70, 10.05, 13.40 mg L-1). Controls consisted of distilled water (negative) and 3 mg L-1 CuSO4 (positive). Macroscopic and microscopic variables were analyzed. The germination of L. sativa was not affected by the concentrations of glyphosate. Root length and shoot height of the plants and the mitotic index decreased from the lowest concentration tested on. The chromosomal anomaly index and frequency of micronuclei increased by 3.2 and 22 times, respectively, with the presence of the lowest concentration of glyphosate compared to the negative control. The observed phytotoxic and cytogenotoxic effects demonstrate the negative influence that glyphosate has on the development of L. sativa. Root length and microscopic variables showed the highest sensitivity. This study warns of the possible harmful effects that glyphosate can have on non-target organisms and suggests greater control over the use of this herbicide to mitigate its environmental impact.
Highlights
Herbicides are used to control the growth of unwanted plants and are applied in agriculture to eliminate weeds (Roman et al, 2007)
The germination percentage for L. sativa seeds was not affected by glyphosate concentration, nor by the positive control compared to the negative control (Figure 1A), ranging from 93 to 100% among treatments (H = 7.5556; P = 0.2725)
The other macroscopic variables were sensitive to herbicide concentration, and glyphosate interfered in plant development, both of root (H = 214.6; P < 0.001) (Figure 1B) and shoot (Z = 5.451; P < 0.001) (Figure 1C)
Summary
Herbicides are used to control the growth of unwanted plants and are applied in agriculture to eliminate weeds (Roman et al, 2007). Glyphosate, an organophosphate compound, is classified as a non-selective herbicide, with systemic C., Marcon, C. and Droste, A. action and a broad spectrum, making it highly efficient in controlling weeds and the first choice of most agricultural producers (Galli and Montezuma, 2005). Action and a broad spectrum, making it highly efficient in controlling weeds and the first choice of most agricultural producers (Galli and Montezuma, 2005) It is applied in a wide range of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and glyphosateresistant field crops (US-EPA, 2022). This, in turn, reduces the levels of the aromatic amino acids tryptophan, tyrosine and phenylalanine, which are necessary for the synthesis of proteins involved in plant growth. This process halts development and degrades several tissues due to the lack of proteins, resulting in cellular disorder and, plant death (Yamada and Castro, 2007)
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