The toxicity and teratogenicity of gibberellic acid (GA3) based on the frog embryo teratogenesis assay-Xenopus (FETAX)

This study investigated the developmental toxicity of a plant growth regulator (a type of pesticide) using the frog embryo teratogenesis assay-Xenopus (FETAX). Xenopus laevis embryos were exposed to 11 different concentrations of gibberellic acid (GA(3)), from stage 8 to 11, for 96 h under static renewal test conditions. The median lethal concentration (LC50), malformation (EC50), non-observed adverse effect concentration (NOAEC), and lowest observed adverse effect concentration (LOAEC) were calculated. The corresponding LC50 and EC50 values determined for GA3 exposure were 1117.5 mg/L and 658 mg/L, respectively. The TI (LC50/EC50) value calculated for GA(3) was 1.69. Different anomalies occurred in the embryos, depending on the GA(3) concentration. Based on these results, we conclude that GA(3) is toxic and teratogenic to Xenopus laevis embryos. Moreover, our results confirm that the FETAX assay can be a useful pretest for integrated biological hazard assessment of chemical agents used in agriculture.