Diazepam, metformin, omeprazole and simvastatin: a full discussion of individual and mixture acute toxicity

• Published in: Ecotoxicology (London) Vol. 29; no. 7; pp. 1062 - 1071
• Main Authors: Jacob, Raquel Sampaio, de Souza Santos, Lucilaine Valéria, d’Auriol, Mirna, Lebron, Yuri Abner Rocha, Moreira, Victor Rezende, Lange, Liséte Celina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.09.2020; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: active ingredients; Acute toxicity; Analysis; Antagonism; Antidiabetics; Antilipemic agents; Benzodiazepines; Byproducts; Diazepam; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Management; Hormesis; Hypoglycemic agents; Metformin; mixing; Omeprazole; Simvastatin; Synergism; Tetracycline; Tetracyclines; Toxicity; Toxicity testing; Vibrio fischeri; Mixtures toxicity; Emerging contaminants; Acute toxicity; Pharmaceuticals
• ISSN: 0963-9292; 1573-3017; 1573-3017
• DOI: 10.1007/s10646-020-02239-8

High consumption of drugs, combined with their presence in the environment, raises concerns about its consequences. Even though researches are often engaged in analyzing substances separately, that is not the environmental reality. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the acute toxicity of the pharmaceuticals simvastatin, metformin, omeprazole and diazepam, and all possible mixtures between them, to the organism Aliivibrio fischeri , verifying possible synergistic or antagonistic effects and assessing byproducts formation. In terms of individual toxicity, omeprazole is the most toxic of the active ingredients, followed by simvastatin, diazepam and, finally, metformin. When the toxicity of mixtures was tested, synergism, antagonism and hormesis were perceived, most probably generated due to byproducts formation. Moreover, it was observed that even when compounds are at concentrations below the non-observed effect concentration (NOEC), there may be toxicity to the mixture. Hence, this work points to the urgent need for more studies involving mixtures, since chemicals are subject to interactions and modifications, can mix, and potentiate or nullify the toxic effect of each other