Sucralose induces biochemical responses in Daphnia magna.
The intense artificial sweetener sucralose has no bioconcentration properties, and no adverse acute toxic effects have been observed in standard ecotoxicity tests, suggesting negligible environmental risk. However, significant feeding and behavioural alterations have been reported in non-standard tests using aquatic crustaceans, indicating possible sublethal effects. We hypothesized that these effects are related to alterations in acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and oxidative status in the exposed animals and investigated changes in AChE and oxidative biomarkers (oxygen radical absorbing capacity, ORAC, and lipid peroxidation, TBARS) in the crustacean Daphnia magna exposed to sucralose (0.0001-5 mg L(-1)). The sucralose concentration was a significant positive predictor for ORAC, TBARS and AChE in the daphnids. Moreover, the AChE response was linked to both oxidative biomarkers, with positive and negative relationships for TBARS and ORAC, respectively. These joint responses support our hypothesis and suggest that exposure to sucralose may induce neurological and oxidative mechanisms with potentially important consequences for animal behaviour and physiology.
Department of Applied Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
Ann-Kristin
AK
Eriksson Wiklund
Department of Applied Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
Margaretha
M
Adolfsson-Erici
Department of Applied Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
Birgitta
B
Liewenborg
Department of Applied Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
Elena
E
Gorokhova
D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D003621:Daphnia / Q000187:drug effects*; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D013395:Sucrose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism
D015415:Biomarkers; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D013549:Sweetening Agents; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D013395:Sucrose; C026285:trichlorosucrose; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase