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Updated: Jul 8, 2025

Quantification of the Potential Impact of Glyphosate-Based Products on Microbiomes
Published on: January 10, 2022
Impact of glyphosate (RoundupTM) on the composition and functionality of the gut microbiome
Lauren Walsh1,2, Colin Hill1,2, R Paul Ross1,2
1APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
Abstract:
Glyphosate, the active ingredient in the broad-spectrum herbicide RoundupTM, has been a topic of discussion for decades due to contradictory reports of the effect of glyphosate on human health. Glyphosate inhibits the enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) of the shikimic pathway producing aromatic amino acids in plants, a mechanism that suggests that the herbicide would not affect humans as this pathway is not found in mammals. However, numerous studies have implicated glyphosate exposure in the manifestation of a variety of disorders in the human body. This review specifically outlines the potential effect of glyphosate exposure on the composition and functionality of the gut microbiome. Evidence has been building behind the hypothesis that the composition of each individual gut microbiota significantly impacts health. For this reason, the potential of glyphosate to inhibit the growth of beneficial microbes in the gut or alter their functionality is an important topic that warrants further consideration.
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