GENOTOXICITY/CARCINOGENICITY OF BENZYL-PARABEN ON FISH (SPARUS AURATA) USING MICRONUCLEUS ASSAY

Özlem Çakal Arslana*, Beyza Nalbantlar, Gizem Gulsevera, Muhammet Ali Karaaslana, Koray Benasa

ABSTRACT

Parabens are widely utilized as preservatives in an array of consumer products. During the lifecycle of these productsparabens such as benzylparaben (BeP) are released into the environment. In this study investigating the genotoxic effects of BeP on Sparus aurata, we are employed the micronucleus assay—a wellestablished method for evaluating DNA damage at cellular levels. Fishs are exposed to varying concentrations of BeP (0.2 μg/L to 1 μg/L). The findings revealed significant increases in MN frequencies across different tissues; specifically, blood cells exhibited a frequency of 26.4 ‰ at the highest concentration tested, while gill cells showed an alarming frequency of 41‰ and liver cells recorded 33 ‰. These results underscore that exposure to benzylparaben induces genotoxic effects in S. aurata, highlighting its potential risk not only for marine life but also for ecosystems where such substances may accumulate through various pathways.

Keywords: Micronucleus assay, Genotoxicity, Sparus aurata, Benzylparaben.