Environmental exposure to glyphosate does not inhibit human acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase

Abstract

Glyphosate has remained the leading herbicide on the global market to date, despite the continuous debate between consumers, scientific community, and regulatory agencies over its carcinogenicity, genotoxicity, environmental persistence, and the role in the development of neurodegenerative disorders. Chemically, glyphosate belongs to a large family of organophosphorus pesticides, which exert a neurotoxic effect by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), enzymes of the cholinergic system essential for maintaining neurotransmission. Although research shows that glyphosate is a weak cholinesterase inhibitor in fish and mammals compared to other OP compounds, no conclusive data exist concerning the inhibition of human AChE and BChE. In our study we analysed its inhibitory potency on human AChE and BChE, by establishing its IC₅₀ and reversible inhibition in terms of dissociation inhibition constants. Glyphosate concentration of 40 mmol/L caused near total inhibition of enzyme activity (approx. 10 % activity remaining). Inhibition dissociation constants (K_i) of glyphosate-AChE and -BChE complexes were 28.4±2.7 mmol/L and 19.3±1.8 mmol/L, respectively. In conclusion, glyphosate shows a slight binding preference for BChE but exhibits inhibition only in a high concentration range. Our results are in line with studies reporting that its neurotoxic effect is not primarily linked to the cholinergic system.