Evaluation of the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of glufosinate-ammonium at technical and commercial grades in HepG2 cells.

Exposure to genotoxic agents is associated with the development of cancer and related diseases. For this reason, assessing the genotoxicity of chemical compounds is necessary. In this line, information about the genotoxic effect of glufosinate-ammonium (GLA) has been reported only for the technical grade. However, humans are frequently exposed to commercial formulations of pesticides. Commercial formulations are characterized by using inner agents that increase toxicity compared to pesticides in technical grade. This study aimed to determine the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of GLA on HepG2 cells. MTT and comet assays were performed to evaluate cell viability and DNA damage, respectively. HepG2 cells were exposed for 24 h to different concentrations of GLA (at 0.01 µg/mL; 0.04 µg/mL; 0.1 µg/mL; 0.24 µg/mL; 0.52 µg/mL; 1.25 µg/mL; 2.62 µg/mL and 13.12 µg/mL) in commercial- (Finale Ultra®) or technical-grade (GLAT). The results indicated that only Finale Ultra® induced a reduction in cell viability at 13.12 µg/mL. Furthermore, exposure to Finale Ultra® or GLAT was associated with increased DNA damage at concentrations from 0.52-13.12- µg/mL. This study shows the genotoxic effect of GLA on HepG2 cells.