Teratogenic and Neurotoxic Effects of n-Butanol on Zebrafish Development

Abstract

In recent years, n-butanol, a type of alcohol, has been widely used from the chemical industry to the food industry. In this study, toxic effects of n-butanol's different concentrations (10, 50, 250, 500, 750, 1,000, and 1,250 mg/L) in Zebrafish Danio rerio embryos and larvae were investigated. For this purpose, Zebrafish embryos were exposed to n-butanol in acute semistatic applications. Teratogenic effects such as cardiac edema, scoliosis, lordosis, head development abnormality, yolk sac edema, and tail abnormality were determined at different time intervals (24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 h). Additionally, histopathological abnormalities such as vacuole formation in brain tissue and necrosis in liver tissue were observed at high doses (500, 750, and 1,000 mg/L) in all treatment groups at 96 h. It was determined that heart rate decreased at 48, 72, and 96 h due to an increase in concentration. In addition, alcohol-induced eye size reduction (microphthalmia) and single eye formation (cyclopia) are also among the effects observed in our research findings. In conclusion, n-butanol has been observed to cause intense neurotoxic, teratogenic, and cardiotoxic effects in Zebrafish embryos and larvae.