Genotoxicity testing of the herbicide Roundup and its active ingredient glyphosate isopropylamine using the mouse bone marrow micronucleus test, Salmonella mutagenicity test, and Allium anaphase-telophase test.

Abstract

The genotoxic potential of the herbicide Roundup and its active agent, glyphosate isopropylamine salt, was studied in three different assays. No clastogenic effects were found in the mouse bone marrow micronucleus test for either of the two agents. In the Salmonella assay only Roundup was tested. It showed a weak mutagenic effect for the concentrations 360 micrograms/plate in TA98 (without S9) and 720 micrograms/plate in TA100 (with S9). These concentrations are close to the toxic level. The anaphase-telophase Allium test showed no effect for the glyphosate isopropylamine salt, but a significant increase in chromosome aberrations appeared after treatment with Roundup at concentrations of 1.44 and 2.88 mg/l when calculated as glyphosate isopropylamine. The most frequent aberrations observed could be characterized as disturbances of the spindle.

• Authors: J Rank, A G Jensen, B Skov, L H Pedersen, K Jensen
• Journal: Mutation research (Mutat Res) Vol. 300 Issue 1 Pg. 29-36 (Jun 1993) ISSN: 0027-5107 [Print] Netherlands
• PMID: 7683765 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Herbicides
• Liver Extracts
• Mutagens
• glyphosate
• Glycine

Topics

• Allium (drug effects)
• Anaphase (drug effects)
• Animals
• Bone Marrow (drug effects)
• Bone Marrow Cells
• Chi-Square Distribution
• Erythroid Precursor Cells (drug effects)
• Glycine (analogs & derivatives, toxicity)
• Herbicides (toxicity)
• Liver Extracts
• Mice
• Micronucleus Tests
• Microsomes, Liver (enzymology)
• Mutagenicity Tests (methods)
• Mutagens (toxicity)
• Salmonella typhimurium (drug effects, genetics)
• Spindle Apparatus (drug effects)
• Telophase (drug effects)