Impact of the antidepressant Bupropion on the Dynamic Energy Budget of Daphnia magna

In this work, we applied the Dynamic Energy Budget theory to investigate the possible physiological mode of action of the antidepressant Bupropion on the model organism Daphnia magna. Dynamic Energy Budget Individual-Based Models (DEB-IBM) were also used to extrapolate the results to the population level and to predict the combined effects of Bupropion exposure and food availability on the daphnids. Life-history traits (survival, growth, reproduction) of the individual animals were monitored until the end of the experiment (21 days). Survival and the number of live offspring produced per live female were recorded daily, while body length was measured every other day. Our results revealed an increasing negative effect of this antidepressant on the reproduction and survival of the animals with increasing concentration. At the population level, we found that even environmentally relevant doses of Bupropion could reduce the population density and its reproductive output. The impacts are predicted to be stronger under limited food conditions.