Next Article in Journal
Optimization of Nitrogen Injection Huff-and-Puff Parameters for Ultra-High-Temperature and Ultra-High-Pressure Fractured-Vuggy Carbonate Condensate Gas Reservoirs in the Shunbei Area
Previous Article in Journal
Super Time-Cognitive Neural Networks (Phase 3 of Sophimatics): Temporal-Philosophical Reasoning for Security-Critical AI Applications
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Applied Sciences
Volume 15
Issue 22
10.3390/app152211877
applsci-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

From Genes to Organs: A Multi-Level Neurotoxicity Assessment Following Dietary Exposure to Glyphosate and Its Metabolite Aminomethylphosphonic Acid in Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio)

by
Serafina Ferrara
1,
Premysl Mikula
2,
Aneta Hollerova
3,
Petr Marsalek
2,
Frantisek Tichy
4,
Zdenka Svobodova
2,
Caterina Faggio
1,5 and
Jana Blahova
2,*
1
Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d’Alcontres, 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
2
Department of Animal Protection and Welfare and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Palackeho tr. 1946/1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic
3
Department of Infectious Diseases and Preventive Medicine, Veterinary Research Institute, Hudcova 296/70, 621 00 Brno, Czech Republic
4
Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Palackeho tr. 1946/1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic
5
Department of Eco-Sustainable Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80121 Naples, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(22), 11877; https://doi.org/10.3390/app152211877
Submission received: 22 September 2025 / Revised: 15 October 2025 / Accepted: 6 November 2025 / Published: 7 November 2025
Versions Notes

Abstract

Herbicide glyphosate and its main metabolite, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), have raised concerns due to their potential neurotoxicity in non-target aquatic species. This study evaluated neurotoxic effects in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) following a 28-day dietary exposure to glyphosate (325.2 and 3310.0 μg/kg) and AMPA (335.2 and 3441.0 μg/kg) at two concentrations, including control and four treatment groups. Brain acetylcholinesterase activity was significantly (p < 0.05) reduced in all exposed groups, while muscle acetylcholinesterase activity remained unchanged. Brain dopamine was significantly (p < 0.05) decreased only in the highest AMPA group. Plasma butyrylcholinesterase activity increased significantly (p < 0.05) in the low-dose glyphosate group. The level of mRNA expression of ache was significantly (p < 0.05) downregulated in the brain across all treatments and upregulated in the gills only at the highest AMPA concentration. Histological analysis of the brain revealed vascular congestion in both glyphosate-exposed groups, indicating pathological changes. These results suggest that dietary exposure to glyphosate and AMPA can affect cholinergic and dopaminergic pathways in fish, with the brain being a particularly sensitive target tissue. Our findings contribute to understanding the potential neurotoxic risks posed by glyphosate-based compounds in aquatic environments.
Keywords: herbicides; fish neurobiology; acetylcholinesterase; dopamine; histology; gene expression herbicides; fish neurobiology; acetylcholinesterase; dopamine; histology; gene expression

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Ferrara, S.; Mikula, P.; Hollerova, A.; Marsalek, P.; Tichy, F.; Svobodova, Z.; Faggio, C.; Blahova, J. From Genes to Organs: A Multi-Level Neurotoxicity Assessment Following Dietary Exposure to Glyphosate and Its Metabolite Aminomethylphosphonic Acid in Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio). Appl. Sci. 2025, 15, 11877. https://doi.org/10.3390/app152211877

AMA Style

Ferrara S, Mikula P, Hollerova A, Marsalek P, Tichy F, Svobodova Z, Faggio C, Blahova J. From Genes to Organs: A Multi-Level Neurotoxicity Assessment Following Dietary Exposure to Glyphosate and Its Metabolite Aminomethylphosphonic Acid in Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio). Applied Sciences. 2025; 15(22):11877. https://doi.org/10.3390/app152211877

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ferrara, Serafina, Premysl Mikula, Aneta Hollerova, Petr Marsalek, Frantisek Tichy, Zdenka Svobodova, Caterina Faggio, and Jana Blahova. 2025. "From Genes to Organs: A Multi-Level Neurotoxicity Assessment Following Dietary Exposure to Glyphosate and Its Metabolite Aminomethylphosphonic Acid in Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio)" Applied Sciences 15, no. 22: 11877. https://doi.org/10.3390/app152211877

APA Style

Ferrara, S., Mikula, P., Hollerova, A., Marsalek, P., Tichy, F., Svobodova, Z., Faggio, C., & Blahova, J. (2025). From Genes to Organs: A Multi-Level Neurotoxicity Assessment Following Dietary Exposure to Glyphosate and Its Metabolite Aminomethylphosphonic Acid in Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio). Applied Sciences, 15(22), 11877. https://doi.org/10.3390/app152211877

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop