Author(s):
Costa, Ana Rita ; Gonçalves, Virgínia M. F. ; Castro, Bruno B. ; Carrola, João Soares ; Langa, Ivan ; Pereira, Ariana ; Carvalho, Ana Rita ; Tiritan, Maria Elizabeth ; Ribeiro, Cláudia
Date: 2023
Persistent ID: https://hdl.handle.net/1822/85301
Origin: RepositóriUM - Universidade do Minho
Project/scholarship:
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/3599-PPCDT/PTDC%2FCTA-AMB%2F6686%2F2020/PT;
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/6817 - DCRRNI ID/UIDB%2F04423%2F2020/PT;
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/6817 - DCRRNI ID/UIDP%2F04423%2F2020/PT;
Subject(s): Aquatic organisms; Chirality; Ecotoxicity; Enantioselectivity; Psychoactive drugs; Science & Technology
Description
MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is a chiral psychoactive recreational drug sold in illicit markets as racemate. Studies on the impact of MDMA on aquatic organisms are scarce. While enantioselectivity in toxicity in animals and humans has been reported, none is reported on aquatic organisms. This study aimed to investigate the ecotoxicological effects of MDMA and its enantiomers in Daphnia magna. For that, enantiomers (enantiomeric purity > 97%) were separated by liquid chromatography using a homemade semipreparative chiral column. Daphnids were exposed to three concentrations of (R,S)-MDMA (0.1, 1.0 and 10.0 µg L−1) and two concentrations of (R)- and (S)-enantiomers (0.1 and 1.0 µg L−1) over the course of 8 days. Morphophysiological responses were dependent on the substance form and daphnia development stage, and they were overall not affected by the (R)-enantiomer. Changes in swimming behaviour were observed for both the racemate and its enantiomers, but enantioselective effects were not observed. Reproductive or biochemical changes were not observed for enantiomers whereas a significant decrease in acetylcholinesterase and catalase activity was noted at the highest concentration of (R,S)-MDMA (10 µg L−1). Overall, this study showed that sub-chronic exposure to MDMA racemate and its enantiomers can interfere with morphophysiological and swimming behaviour of D. magna. In general, the (R)-enantiomer demonstrated less toxicity than the (S)-enantiomer.
This work was financially supported by national funds through the FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC), under the project PTDC/CTA-AMB/6686/2020, and partially supported through the projects UIDB/04423/2020 and UIDP/04423/2020 (Group of Natural Products and Medicinal ChemistryCIIMAR).
