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Updated: Jun 27, 2025
Studying Neurobehavioral Effects of Environmental Pollutants on Zebrafish Larvae
Published on: February 5, 2020
Biopesticide spinosad: Unraveling ecotoxicological effects on zebrafish, Danio rerio
Inês Amaral1, Sara C Antunes1, Daniela Rebelo2
1Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre S/N, Porto 4169-007, Portugal; Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental (CIIMAR/CIMAR), Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Avenida General Norton de Matos S/N, Matosinhos 4550-208, Portugal.
Abstract:
Biopesticides are natural compounds considered more safe and sustainable for the environment. Spinosad (SPI) is a bioinsecticide used in marketed worldwide, to eradicate a variety of pests. This study aimed to assess the impacts of the SPI on the non-target organism zebrafish (Danio rerio). Several concentrations of SPI were tested to evaluate the acute (0.07-1.0 mg/L) and chronic (0.006-0.100 mg/L) ecotoxicological effects. To evaluate sub-individual effects, antioxidant defense, lipid peroxidation, energy sources, and cholinergic biomarkers were quantified. In both exposures, SPI induced significant effects on antioxidant defense indicating oxidative stress, disrupting energy pathways, and exhibiting neurotoxic effects, under environmentally relevant conditions. Integrated Biomarker Response (IBRv2) showed that with increasing SPI concentrations, an increase in impacts on organisms was recorded. This study demonstrates the vulnerability of a non-target organism to SPI, a bioinsecticide considered environmentally safe. Further research is essential to fully understand the implications of spinosad to aquatic biota.
