Sucralose Induces Biochemical Responses in Daphnia magna

Abstract

The intense artificial sweetener sucralose has no bioconcentration properties, and no adverse acute toxic effects have been observed in standard ecotoxicity tests, suggesting negligible environmental risk. However, significant feeding and behavioural alterations have been reported in non-standard tests using aquatic crustaceans, indicating possible sublethal effects. We hypothesized that these effects are related to alterations in acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and oxidative status in the exposed animals and investigated changes in AChE and oxidative biomarkers (oxygen radical absorbing capacity, ORAC, and lipid peroxidation, TBARS) in the crustacean Daphnia magna exposed to sucralose (0.0001–5 mg L−1). The sucralose concentration was a significant positive predictor for ORAC, TBARS and AChE in the daphnids. Moreover, the AChE response was linked to both oxidative biomarkers, with positive and negative relationships for TBARS and ORAC, respectively. These joint responses support our hypothesis and suggest that exposure to sucralose may induce neurological and oxidative mechanisms with potentially important consequences for animal behaviour and physiology.

Nonnutritive Sweeteners in Breast Milk

“…Whether NNS at concentrations found in breast milk exert biological effects requires further study. However, sucralose at concentrations several orders of magnitude lower than those in our samples was shown to induce oxidative stress and feeding and behavioral abnormalities in a model species of ecotoxicology (Eriksson Wiklund et al, 2014). …”

Toxicological hazard induced by sucralose to environmentally relevant concentrations in common carp (Cyprinus carpio)

“…The wide and high consumption of SUC around the globe, have result in different scientific reports that described its occurrence in different water bodies at concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 g L −1 (Eriksson-Wiklund et al, 2014;Lange et al, 2012;Minten and Adolfsson-Erici, 2011;Loos et al, 2009), moreover this artificial sweetener poses a high stability under different conditions, which may have consequences over different aquatic species. However, the present state of knowledge is still unable to comprehend fully the possible ecotoxicological risk that this compound may pose.…”

“…The behavioural response of Daphnia magna manifested as altered swimming height and increased swimming speed, whereas in gammarids the time to reach food and shelter was prolonged. These authors suggest that exposure to sucralose may induce neurological and oxidative mechanisms with potentially important consequences for D. magna behaviour and physiology (Eriksson-Wiklund et al, 2014). Research on the ecotoxicology of SUC is expected to increase in next years, since both short and long-term effects resulting from exposure to low levels of this compound is largely unknown.…”

Evaluation of long‐term effects of artificial sweeteners on rat brain: a biochemical, behavioral, and histological study

“…Furthermore, chronic intake of aspartame can impair memory performance that is likely to involve increased oxidative stress and cholinergic neuronal loss . In addition to aspartame, a few in vitro and in vivo studies have indicated that exposure to saccharin or sucralose may also have detrimental effects on various cell types and tissues . When relevant studies in the literature are examined, there are no studies comparing the effects of these three artificial sweeteners on memory and neuronal survival.…”

“…[8,16,17] In addition to aspartame, a few in vitro and in vivo studies have indicated that exposure to saccharin or sucralose may also have detrimental effects on various cell types and tissues. [18][19][20][21] When relevant studies in the literature are examined, there are no studies comparing the effects of these three artificial sweeteners on memory and neuronal survival. Considering this, the present study was conducted to compare the effects of chronically given aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose on memory performance and neuronal survival and its potential relationship with oxidative stress.…”