Journal or Publishing Institution: Journal of Experimental Zoology India
Author(s): Gopan, A., Pushbalatha, I., Giridharan, B. and Amutha, C.
Article Type: Peer Reviewed Study
Abstract:
Glyphosate is a nonselective herbicide that is used worldwide to kill the weeds. In this study, we investigated the effects of glyphosate-based Roundup on the gut microbiota of Puntius euspirulus, a fish species commonly found in Tamil Nadu, India. Fish were collected and placed into tanks with varying concentrations of glyphosate (100 to 500 ppb), while a control group was kept in clean water. Daily observations recorded mortality rates and every ten days, fish samples were collected for analysis. Our findings revealed that increasing glyphosate concentrations led to significant declines in bacterial growth, as measured by optical density (OD) at 600 nm. The control group had an OD of 0.98, while the highest concentration showed a drop to 0.62, indicating glyphosate’s inhibitory effects on bacterial proliferation. Colony-forming units (CFUs) also decreased markedly from 4.9 × 10-6 in controls to 1.5 × 10-6 at 500 ppb after ten days. Morphological changes in the gut, such as sliminess and color alterations at higher concentrations, further illustrated the herbicide’s disruptive impact. Biochemical analyses identified diverse Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, with some strains exhibiting resilience under stress. Notably, hemolytic activity tests indicated potential pathogenicity among certain strains. It also indicates that the number of harmful bacteria CFU increases as glyphosate concentration increases, and it was further identified using MALDI-tof. This indicates that roundup, which is based on glyphosate, is disturbing the microbial balance inside the fish.
Keywords: Glyphosate, Roundup, freshwater fish, Puntius euspirulus, gut microbial dysbiosis
Citation:
Gopan, A., Pushbalatha, I., Giridharan, B. and Amutha, C., 2025. Studies on exposure of Glyphosate based Roundup in freshwater fish Puntius euspirulus and its gut microbial dysbiosis. Journal of Experimental Zoology India, 28(1).
Category:
- Health effects
- Environmental effects
Record ID: 2844
