제브라피쉬 배아발생에 관한 식품첨가제 티몰의 기형발생 효과

Biological process of redox reaction is an integral mechanism of toxicities, contributing to severe pathological diseases. Thymol is a well-accepted food additive agent as well as antiseptic; however, its beneficial applications have toxic effects on zebrafish developmental stages. To explore the underlying mode of action of thymol (THY), we investigated the potential impact of THY on zebrafish embryos, with special attention on morphological and ROS biogenesis. In this study, we exposed the zebrafish embryos to 5, 50 and 250 μM of THY for 96 hours post fertilization (hpf). Noticeable teratogenic effects were observed upon assessing the survival rate (LC50=40μM), hatching process, and cardiac functions, thereby verifying the toxic effect of THY on zebrafish embryos. Furthermore, we analyzed the effect of THY on the activities of morphological, JC1 and Casp-3 immunofluorescence staining, followed by expressional analysis of antioxidant (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and apoptotic markers in zebrafish. As expected, we noticed a significant modulatory effect on the above-mentioned activities. Collectively, our findings suggest that ROS might be the prime mediator responsible for THY-induced oxidative damage, thereby affecting the cellular defense mechanism and apoptotic events in zebrafish embryos.