Embryotoxic effects of Rovral® for early chicken (Gallus gallus) development

ABSTRACT

Rovral® is a fungicide used to control pests that affect various crops and little is known regarding its effects on embryonic development of amniotes. Thus, this study aimed to determine the influence of Rovral® during chicken organogenesis using acute in ovo contamination. Fertilized eggs were inoculated with different concentrations of Rovral® (100, 300, 500 or 750 µl/ml), injected into the egg’s air chamber. After 7 days, embryos were examined for possible malformations, staging, weight and mortality. Subsequently, head, trunk, limbs and eyes were measured for morphometry and asymmetry. For blood analysis, eggs were treated with 300 µl/ml Rovral® and glucose, presence of micronuclei and erythrocyte nuclei abnormalities determined. Treatments with Rovral® affected the mortality rate in a concentration-dependent manner. LC₅₀ value was found to be 596 µl/ml which represents 397-fold higher than the recommended concentration for use. Rovral® produced several malformations including hemorrhagic, ocular and cephalic abnormalities. No significant changes were observed in body weight, staging, body measurements, symmetry and glucose levels of live embryos, which indicates this fungicide presents low toxicity under the analyzed conditions. Changes in erythrocyte nuclei were noted; however significant difference was observed only for presence of binucleated erythrocytes. It is important to point out that possibly more significant changes may have occurred at lower concentrations through chronic contamination. Therefore, caution is needed in the use of this fungicide, since it presents teratogenic and mutagenic potential.

KEYWORDS:

• Embryology
• fungicide
• iprodione
• malformations
• toxicology

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Prof. Dr. Cleto Kaveski Peres, for assistance with statistical analysis and the staff from Laboratory of Physiology and Developmental Biology (UNILA) for technical support.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors are solely responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was financed in part by the Federal University of Latin American Integration - Brazil (UNILA) - Programa de Apoio à Pós-Graduação (PROAP) 2018/2019 - Edital PRPPG nº. 079/2018; Programa de Demanda Social (DS) 2018/2020 - Edital PRPPG nº. 011/2018.