Ecotoxicity of the fluoroquinolone antibiotic delafloxacin to the water flea Simocephalus vetulus and its offspring under the influence of calcium modulation

Abstract

Delafloxacin (DFX), one of the latest additions to the fluoroquinolone antibiotics, is gaining heightened recognition in human therapy due to its potential antibacterial efficacy in a wide range of applications. Concerns have arisen regarding its presence in the environment and its potential interactions with multivalent metals, such as calcium (Ca). The present study investigated the trans- and multigenerational effects of environmentally projected concentrations of DFX (100-400 μg DFX L^-1) on individual- and population-level responses of parental S. vetulus (F0) and its descendants (F1) under normal (26 mg L^-1) and high (78 mg L^-1) Ca conditions. Exposure of the F0 generation to DFX under the normal Ca condition resulted in reduced juvenile body length (JBL), increased age-specific survival rate (l_x), indicating prolonged developmental time, reduced age-specific fecundity rate (m_x), and decreased population growth rate (r_m). Under the high Ca condition, JBL, m_x, and r_m were adversely affected. Transgenerational effects of DFX existed, as F1 individuals exhibited persistent suppressions in at least one endpoint under both Ca conditions even after being transferred to a clear medium. Continuous exposure of the F1 generation to DFX had negative impacts on JBL, m_x, and r_m under the normal Ca condition, and on JBL and r_m under the high Ca condition. However, cumulative effects were not observed, suggesting the potential development of tolerance to DFX in the F1 organisms. These findings suggest that DFX is a harmful compound for the non-target model organism S. vetulus and reveal a potential antagonism between DFX and Ca. Nevertheless, the interaction between other (fluoro)quinolones and Ca remains unclear, necessitating further research to establish this phenomenon more comprehensively, including understanding the interaction mechanism in ecotoxicological contexts.

Keywords: Antibiotic pollution; Cumulative effects; Drug-drug interactions; Non-target organisms; Pharmaceuticals; Trans- and multigenerational effects.