Toxic effects of combined exposure of Triclosan and Glyphosate on the Zebrafish embryos

Triclosan and glyphosate are commonly used chemicals worldwide. While TCS is an antimicrobial compound having application in health care and household; glyphosate is a non-selective herbicide used in agricultural as well as non agricultural applications. Overuse of both these compounds since past 2-3 decades has raised concerns about its safety on public health. Recently FDA has banned TCS in handwash soaps. But its use in other consumer goods is questionable. On the other hand, glyphosate still remains a source of controversy for its carcinogenic properties. Many studies have analysed toxicity of these chemicals individually. but single exposure is an ideal scenario. Humans are exposed to a variety of different chemicals simultaneously on a daily basis. We studied the effects of combined exposure of Triclosan and Glyphosate on the Zebrafish embryos. In addition, we investigated the effects of TCS on neuromuscular junction of Zebrafish embryos. We observed that the combined exposure of TCS and glyphosate is more toxic as compared to individual exposure of TCS or glyphosate. Combined exposureincreased mortality rate, delayed hatching, increased morphological abnormalities as well as decreased larval length.In addition, we observed TCS exposure disrupted the integrity of the NMJ junction in a concentration dependent manner as indicated by an increase in chevron angle and increased visible discontinuities upon labelling of the NMJ by Znp1 antibody which labels motor neuron axons.Overall, our results indicate that development toxicity is more severe in case of combined exposure in embryos. And also, TCS interferes with integrity of NMJ in zebrafish embryo