EXPOSIÇÃO AGUDA E CRÔNICA AO HERBICIDA À BASE DE GLIFOSATO EM ESPÉCIES GRILOS (ORTHOPTERA: GRYLLOIDEA): IMPLICAÇÕES SOBRE OS EFEITOS OXIDATIVOS À ABORDAGENS ECOLÓGICAS

Abstract

Brazil is a significant global agricultural producer, and to enhance production, it has extensively utilized glyphosate-based herbicides (GBH), surpassing consumption and sales records. This herbicide is renowned for its potential to cause environmental damage by contaminating aquatic, terrestrial, and atmospheric environments, affecting non-target organisms and promoting the generation of oxidizing compounds that harm essential biomolecular groups. The quantification of antioxidant enzyme activity (GST, GR, GPx, and CAT), cholinergic enzymes (ChE), and lipid peroxidation (LPO) were employed as indicators to evaluate the effects of acute and chronic exposure to GBH in non-target insects of the Orthoptera order. Thus, the effects of acute and chronic exposure were evaluated using two cricket species: the forest crickets Eidmanacris meridionalis can be considerate a sensitive biomarker, while the field crickets Gryllus (Gryllus) assimilis, a tolerant biomarker. Assessing the effects of acute exposure to increasing concentrations of GBH (0.00; 0.01 0.05; 0.10; 0.21 e 0.86 mg.L-1 ) in crickets from different habitats demonstrated that elevated concentrations resulted in an increased antioxidant defense response and cholinergic system inhibition in forest crickets, indicating their susceptibility to contamination, which may potentially lead to population reduction. In contrast, antioxidant defenses and the cholinergic system remained stable in field crickets, indicating their adaptability to environments with GBH application. Furthermore, evaluating the effects of chronic exposure to 0.864 mg.L-1 of GBH throughout the ontogeny of G. (Gryllus) assimilis revealed alterations in the systems across developmental stages. Specifically, CAT activity exhibited a significant increase during the nymphal phase, while GST showed an increase in response to GBH, primarily during adulthood and during senescence, and there was a considerable increase in ChE enzymes. The efficacy of these enzymes in controlling lipid peroxidation further demonstrates the adaptability of this species to environmental contamination. This study underscores the importance of studying different species, highlighting that recommendations based solely on one species within a specific taxon may not be sufficient to ensure biodiversity conservation. These findings emphasize the long-term effects of agrochemical pollution and the significance of sustainable practices, effective regulations, and alternative weed control methods.