EVALUATION OF DNA DAMAGE IN HUMAN PERIPHERAL BLOOD LEUKOCYTES EXPOSED TO HERBICIDE GLYPHOSATE

Argentina is the world's largest exporter of oil and soybean flour, and the third largest supplier of the oleaginous grain. The total area planted with soybean grew about 50% in the past 30 years, occupying half the planted area in the country and thus the use of many pesticides. One of the problems of pesticide use is the possible impact on human populations exposed directly or indirectly. Hence the importance of assessing the genotoxic potential of these substances through biomarkers as chromosomal aberrations, micronuclei, sister chromatid exchange or comet assay. This study evaluated the genotoxic potential of a glyphosate commercial formulation (glyphosate II-Atanor (R), glyphosate 43.8 %) by the comet assay and the concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) was determined to quantify the lipid peroxidation process that occurs under oxidative stress. All concentrations of glyphosate in commercial formulation produced a statistically significant increase in tail moment relative to negative control. A correlation between increased lipid peroxidation and DNA fragmentation measured as the tail moment was found, so it is estimated that oxidative stress might be one of the main factors that would disrupt the normal functioning of cells, being understood this process as the main consequence of exposure to glyphosate.