Avaliação neurotoxicológica do Paraquat e seus produtos de degradação em Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

Paraquat (PQ) is a non-selective herbicide belonging to the bipyridine chemical class, polar and has been widely applied to control weeds in vegetable crops in several countries. However, its application is prohibited in several countries, mainly in Europe, due to studies showing damage to public health.This herbicide presents a significant similarity to 1-methyl-4- phenyl-1,2,3,6- tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), a potent dopaminergic neurotoxin. Given their properties, it is important to find scientific solutions to treat waters that are contaminated with agrochemicals, and that do not originate even more harmful compounds. For this, animal models are necessary to monitor the byproducts generated, and among the different animals, we use Drosophila melanogaster as a model, which presents important orthology to human genes related to neurobiochemical processes, such as dopaminergic and cholinergic transmission and clearance of proteins such as amyloid proteins, involved in Alzheimer's disease. In this study, using D. melanogaster, we assessed the neurotoxicity of PQ byproducts generated through photolysis and photocatalysis using behavioral and neurobiochemical parameters. Additionally, the degradation products of PQ were elucidated using chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry.