Abstract
Glyphosate is widely used worldwide as a potent herbicide. Due to its ubiquitous use, it is detectable in air, water and foodstuffs and can accumulate in human biological fluids and tissues representing a severe human health risk. In plants, glyphosate acts as an inhibitor of the shikimate pathway, which is absent in vertebrates. Due to this, international scientific authorities have long-considered glyphosate as a compound that has no or weak toxicity in humans. However, increasing evidence has highlighted the toxicity of glyphosate and its formulations in animals and human cells and tissues. Thus, despite the extension of the authorization of the use of glyphosate in Europe until 2022, several countries have begun to take precautionary measures to reduce its diffusion. Glyphosate has been detected in urine, blood and maternal milk and has been found to induce the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and several cytotoxic and genotoxic effects in vitro and in animal models directly or indirectly through its metabolite, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA). This review aims to summarize the more relevant findings on the biological effects and underlying molecular mechanisms of glyphosate, with a particular focus on glyphosate's potential to induce inflammation, DNA damage and alterations in gene expression profiles as well as adverse effects on reproduction and development.
Highlights
Glyphosate (N-phosponmetyl glycine; CAS registry number 1071-83-6; molecular formula C3-H8-N-O5-P) is one of the most widely used herbicides in the world
The authors do not specify if farmers were exposed to pure glyphosate or glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs), these results suggest that exposure to glyphosate induces damage to the epithelial barrier of the airways, the first source of contact with inhaled pesticides
Scientific evidence has shown that exposure to glyphosate and GBHs can predispose humans to the onset of systemic inflammatory diseases, cancer and neurological disorders
Summary
Glyphosate (N-phosponmetyl glycine; CAS registry number 1071-83-6; molecular formula C3-H8-N-O5-P) is one of the most widely used herbicides in the world. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) carried out an in-depth analysis of research studies on the effects of glyphosate in humans and animals This analysis ended, in 2015, with the decision to include this pesticide in the group 2A (probably carcinogenic to humans). In 2015, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) conducted another technical assessment entrusted to the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BFR) and, from these valuations, it emerged that glyphosate was unlikely to represent a carcinogenic hazard for humans. Both views were met with criticism among the scientific community and society at large. Through critically analyzing the overall aspects of glyphosate toxicity, we provide our insights, with aim to raise awareness about its use
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