In vivo genotoxicity of the natural dye emodin using an aquatic organism

• Grant number: 20/06112-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2020
• End date: June 30, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Gisela de Aragão Umbuzeiro
• Grantee: Gabriel Rampazzo Magalhães
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Tecnologia (FT). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Limeira , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Dyes are produced in large quantities annually and, as they have toxic properties, they become an environmental problem when disposed in water bodies. Studies have shown that, in addition to altering the quality of water bodies, certain dyes can produce mutagenic and genotoxic effects in aquatic organisms. Emodin is an anthraquinone obtained from plants and fungi, which has been used as a dye of natural origin. After undergoing the AMES test, emodin has been shown to be mutagenic. Damage to individual cells can be analyzed with the comet assay, which is a simple, fast and low cost method. The marine amphipod Parhyale hawaiensis has a circumtropical distribution and has shown promise in toxicity tests and genetic studies. Thus, the present project aims to evaluate the in vivo genotoxicity of the natural dye emodin using the Parhyale hawaiensis model. This project is part of the BioColour project, an international project in which new natural dyes are studied, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Gisela de Aragão Umbuzeiro.