Transgenerational disrupting impacts of atrazine in zebrafish: Beneficial effects of dietary spirulina

In a range of fish species, offspring sustainability is much dependent to their mother's investment into the egg yolk. A healthy environment helps broodfish to produce normal quality offspring. However, deviation from optimal conditions can disturb body functions that effect the next generation. Here, zebrafish (Danio rerio) was employed to investigate the transgenerational impacts of an immunotoxic and endocrine disruptor, atrazine (AZ). In addition, the possible ameliorated effects of a nutraceutical, Arthrospira platensis (spirulina- SP), was considered. Adult females were either exposed to 0 (Cn), 5 (AZ5), and 50 (AZ50) μg/L AZ or fed SP-supplemented diet (10 g/kg; SP). In combination treatments, fish were also exposed to AZ and fed SP (SP-AZ5 and SP-AZ50). Embryos were obtained after 28 d of exposure. Exposure to AZ50 caused females to produce eggs with significantly lower fertilization and hatching. No changes were observed in the concentrations of thyroid hormones. AZ significantly increased cortisol response and reduced levels of immunoglobulin, lysozyme and complement activities in females and their offspring. SP-AZ5 and SP-AZ50 females, however, resisted to the toxic effects of AZ, produced embryos with lower cortisol content and higher immunity competence. Bactericidal activity of the embryos also showed the transgenerational antimicrobial effects of SP along with the AZ immunotoxicity. Overall, these results indicate that AZ could have long lasting toxic effects on fish, and that dietary SP-supplementation could ameliorate AZ induced transgenerational toxic effects. [Display omitted] •Amelioration effects of dietary spirulina on transgenerational toxic impacts of atrazine were tested in zebrafish.•Higher cortisol levels were observed in the offspring of atrazine-exposed females.•Atrazine at environmentally relevant concentrations induced maternal immunotoxic effects.•Bactericidal activity in the offspring of atrazine-exposed females was lower than that of control.•Spirulina enhanced the offspring's immune competence via increase maternally derived factors.