TOXICOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF DIFFERENT FORMULATIONS OF DIFLUBENZURON: ANALYSIS OF MULTIPLE MORPHOLOGICAL BIOMARKERS IN ZEBRAFISH (Danio rerio)

• Grant number: 23/15540-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: September 01, 2024
• End date: August 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Morphology - Histology
• Principal Investigator: Bruno Fiorelini Pereira
• Grantee: Amanda de Azevedo Valle
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Ambientais, Químicas e Farmacêuticas (ICAQF). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus Diadema. Diadema , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In the context of aquatic ecosystems, the presence of emerging pollutants, such as pesticides anddomestic insecticides, has led to the exposure of fauna and flora to effects whose ramificationsoften remain unknown. In ecotoxicological assays, especially those involving fish, the zebrafish(Danio rerio) model is widely validated due to its remarkable anatomical, physiological, and developmental similarities with higher vertebrates, making it recognized as a representative model in aquatic ecosystems. In this context, the present project proposes to investigate and compare the effects of three different formulations of Diflubenzuron (DFB), two for veterinary application and one for agricultural production. The research will focus on the individual impacts of each formulation, considering histopathological aspects in the liver, gills, gonads, kidneys, and intestines of male and female of D. rerio, through subchronic exposures at different concentrations (0.025 - 2.5 mg/L). The results of these analyses, by providing a profound understanding of the alterations caused by this pesticide, will not only contribute to the field of environmental toxicology but also provide valuable insights into the impacts of different formulations of this xenobiotic, extrapolating not only to interactions with aquatic biota but also to ecosystemic effects and the human population. This investigation aims not only at the conservation of aquatic species but also at generating crucial data that could contribute to the reformulation and updating of Brazilian regulatory policies related to DFB.