title: Ultimate biodegradability and ecotoxicity of orally administered antidiabetic drugs.
abstract: Hypoglycaemic pharmaceuticals are recently more and more frequently detected in the environment. In our previous study, we have shown that even though many of them undergo significant primary degradation some are transformed to stable products or undergo such transformation that a large part of the structure is still preserved. One of the main routes of elimination from wastewaters or surface waters is biodegradation and a lack thereof leads to accumulation in the environment. Within this work we tested the ultimate biodegradability of six oral antidiabetics: metformin and its main metabolite guanylurea, acarbose, glibenclamide, gliclazide, glimepiride and repaglinide. We also compared the experimental results obtained in this and accompanying work with models designed to predict biodegradability and showed that these models are only moderately successful. Additionally, we examined these compounds in acute Daphnia magna test to check if they might pose an ecotoxicological threat. Combining the results of biodegradability and toxicity tests allows a preliminary assessment of their potential environmental impact.
authors.affiliation: UFT - Centre for Environmental Research and Technology, University of Bremen, Leobener Straße, D-28359 Bremen, Germany. Electronic address: martam@uni-bremen.de.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Markiewicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Colloid and Lipid Science, Faculty of Chemistry, Gdańsk University of Technology, ul. Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdańsk, Poland.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jungnickel
authors.affiliation: UFT - Centre for Environmental Research and Technology, University of Bremen, Leobener Straße, D-28359 Bremen, Germany; Department of Environmental Analysis, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, ul. W. Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stolte
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Analysis, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, ul. W. Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Białk-Bielińska
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Analysis, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, ul. W. Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland.
authors.forename: Jolanta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kumirska
authors.affiliation: School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences,Cassie Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon NE1 7RU Tyne, UK; Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdańsk, Al. Hallera 107, 80-416 Gdansk, Poland.
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mrozik
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D003621:Daphnia / Q000187:drug effects*; D054750:Ecotoxicology; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D021281:Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Antidiabetic drugs; Biodegradation; Ecotoxicity; Pharmaceuticals; Sulphonamides