Issue 15, 2024

Effects of glyphosate exposure on intestinal microbiota, metabolism and microstructure: a systematic review

Abstract

Glyphosate is the most commercialized herbicide in Brazil and worldwide, and this has become a worrying scenario in recent years. In 2015 glyphosate was classified as potentially carcinogenic by the World Health Organization, which opened avenues for numerous debates about its safe use regarding non-target species’ health, including humans. This review aimed to observe the impacts of glyphosate and its formulations on the gut microbiota, as well as on the gut microstructure and animal metabolism. A systematic review was conducted based on the PRISMA recommendations, and the search for original articles was performed in Pubmed/Medline, Scopus and Web of Science databases. The risk of bias in the studies was assessed using the SYRCLE strategy. Our findings revealed that glyphosate and its formulations are able to induce intestinal dysbiosis by altering bacterial metabolism, intestinal permeability, and mucus secretion, as well as causing damage to the microvilli and the intestinal lumen. Additionally, immunological, enzymatic and genetic changes were also observed in the animal models. At the metabolic level, damage was observed in lipid and energy metabolism, the circulatory system, cofactor and vitamin metabolism, and replication, repair, and translation processes. In this context, we pointed out that the studies revealed that these alterations, caused by glyphosate-based herbicides, can lead to intestinal and systemic diseases, such as Crohn's disease and Alzheimer's disease.

Graphical abstract: Effects of glyphosate exposure on intestinal microbiota, metabolism and microstructure: a systematic review

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
07 Feb. 2024
Accepted
25 Jun. 2024
First published
25 Jun. 2024

Food Funct., 2024,15, 7757-7781

Effects of glyphosate exposure on intestinal microbiota, metabolism and microstructure: a systematic review

A. D. C. Ignácio, A. M. D. R. Guerra, T. G. de Souza-Silva, M. A. V. D. Carmo and H. A. D. A. Paula, Food Funct., 2024, 15, 7757 DOI: 10.1039/D4FO00660G

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