Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of glyphosate and Roundup Quickpro on Chinese hamster ovary cells

Glyphosate and Roundup products have become the most used herbicide worldwide. However, previous bans in Europe and recent reversal have caused confusion over their safety. This study aims to investigate the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of Roundup QuickPro and its main ingredient glyphosate using Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Cytotoxicity was calculated by measuring CHO cell viability with 72 h of exposure to each toxicant. Roundup QuickPro exhibited higher cytotoxicity with LC50 of 511.2 µg/mL than glyphosate's LC50 of 3389 µg/mL. The recommended application concentration (11,233.7 µg/mL) of Roundup QuickPro is much higher than the measured LC50, which caused complete cell death in the cytotoxicity assay. Genotoxicity was measured using the Comet assay that can assess DNA damage in individual CHO cells. Like cytotoxicity, genotoxicity also exhibited a similar trend showing Roundup QuickPro causing more DNA damage than glyphosate. This enhanced toxicity observed in Roundup QuickPro may be attributed to the presence of diquate dibromide and other ingredients used in its formulation. The results from this study could help guide future in vivo toxicity research of glyphosate and Roundup products, and further improve the policy to protect the environment and human health against herbicide use.