Phytoestrogens β -sitosterol and genistein have limited effects on reproductive endpoints in a female fish, Betta splendens.
Phytoestrogens are produced by plants and may cause endocrine disruption in vertebrates. The present study hypothesizes that phytoestrogen exposure of female Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens) may disrupt endogenous steroid levels, change agonistic behavior expression, and potentially also disrupt oocyte development. However, only the pharmacologic dose of β-sitosterol had a significant effect on opercular flaring behavior, while we did not find significant effects of β-sitosterol or genistein on steroids or gonads. These findings are in direct contrast with previous studies on the effects of phytoestrogens in female fish. Results of the current study support previous work showing that the effects of phytoestrogen exposure may be less acute in mature female B. splendens than in other fish.
Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, USA ; Graduate Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA ; Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institute of Washington, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
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Brown
Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, USA ; Doctoral Program in Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA.
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Stevenson
Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, USA.
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Leonard
Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, USA.
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Nieves-Puigdoller
Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, USA.
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Clotfelter
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes; D019833:Genistein / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D048789:Phytoestrogens / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D012855:Sitosterols / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D048789:Phytoestrogens; D012855:Sitosterols; C025473:gamma-sitosterol; D019833:Genistein