Comparison of the effect of Roundup Ultra 360 SL pesticide and its active compound glyphosate on human erythrocytes

The effects of exposure of human erythrocytes to different concentrations of Roundup Ultra 360 SL and its active compound glyphosate were studied. We studied hemolysis after 1, 5, and 24 h incubation; lipid peroxidation, hemoglobin oxidation, the level of reduced glutathione, and the activity of catalase after 1 h. Human erythrocytes were incubated with 100-1500 ppm (100 μg/ml erythrocytes at 5% hematocrite) Roundup Ultra 360 SL and glyphosate. We have found that after 1 h of incubation only Roundup Ultra 360 SL increased the level of methemoglobin, products of lipid peroxidation at 500 ppm and hemolysis at 1500 ppm Curr. Top. Biophys. 26 (2002) 245], while its active compound glyphosate increased the level of methemoglobin and the level of lipid peroxidation at much higher dose—1000 ppm. At the same time hemolysis was observed to only at the highest dose of glyphosate (1500 ppm) and the longest time of incubation (24 h). Both Roundup Ultra 360 SL and glyphosate did not cause statistically significant changes in the level of GSH, but increased the activity of catalase. Roundup Ultra 360 SL provokes more changes in the function of erythrocytes than its active substance glyphosate, which is probably a result of the properties of additives. Taking into account the limited accumulation of Roundup Ultra 360 SL and glyphosate in the organism as well as the fact that the threshold doses which caused changes in erythrocytes for Roundup Ultra 360 SL were only 500 and 1000 ppm for glyphosate, one may conclude that this pesticide is safe towards human erythrocytes.