Diazepam, metformin, omeprazole and simvastatin: a full discussion of individual and mixture acute toxicity

Jacob, Raquel Sampaio; de Souza Santos, Lucilaine Valéria; d’Auriol, Mirna; Lebron, Yuri Abner Rocha; Moreira, Victor Rezende; Lange, Liséte Celina

doi:10.1007/s10646-020-02239-8

Published: 25 June 2020

Diazepam, metformin, omeprazole and simvastatin: a full discussion of individual and mixture acute toxicity

Ecotoxicology volume 29, pages 1062–1071 (2020)Cite this article

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Abstract

High consumption of drugs, combined with their presence in the environment, raises concerns about its consequences. Even though researches are often engaged in analyzing substances separately, that is not the environmental reality. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the acute toxicity of the pharmaceuticals simvastatin, metformin, omeprazole and diazepam, and all possible mixtures between them, to the organism Aliivibrio fischeri, verifying possible synergistic or antagonistic effects and assessing byproducts formation. In terms of individual toxicity, omeprazole is the most toxic of the active ingredients, followed by simvastatin, diazepam and, finally, metformin. When the toxicity of mixtures was tested, synergism, antagonism and hormesis were perceived, most probably generated due to byproducts formation. Moreover, it was observed that even when compounds are at concentrations below the non-observed effect concentration (NOEC), there may be toxicity to the mixture. Hence, this work points to the urgent need for more studies involving mixtures, since chemicals are subject to interactions and modifications, can mix, and potentiate or nullify the toxic effect of each other

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Funding

This work was supported by CNPq, CAPES, FAPEMIG, Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais and Federal University of Minas Gerais.

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Sanitation and Environmental Engineering Department, School of Engineering, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Avenue Antônio Carlos, 6627, Campus Pampulha, MG, Brazil
Raquel Sampaio Jacob, Lucilaine Valéria de Souza Santos, Mirna d’Auriol, Yuri Abner Rocha Lebron, Victor Rezende Moreira & Liséte Celina Lange
Civil Engineering Department, Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, ZIP 30.535-901, Brazil
Raquel Sampaio Jacob
Chemical Engineering Department, Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, ZIP 30.535-901, Brazil
Lucilaine Valéria de Souza Santos

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Raquel Sampaio Jacob
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Lucilaine Valéria de Souza Santos
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Mirna d’Auriol
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Yuri Abner Rocha Lebron
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Victor Rezende Moreira
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Liséte Celina Lange
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Correspondence to Raquel Sampaio Jacob.

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Jacob, R.S., de Souza Santos, L.V., d’Auriol, M. et al. Diazepam, metformin, omeprazole and simvastatin: a full discussion of individual and mixture acute toxicity. Ecotoxicology 29, 1062–1071 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-020-02239-8

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Accepted: 06 June 2020
Published: 25 June 2020
Issue Date: September 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-020-02239-8

Keywords

Acute toxicity
Aliivibrio fischeri
Emerging contaminants
Mixtures toxicity
Pharmaceuticals