INGESTÃO DE EFLUENTE DE CURTUME COMO UM FATOR DE RISCO À SAÚDE DAS AVES: UM ESTUDO TOXICOLÓGICO UTILIZANDO COTURNIX COTURNIX JAPONICA COMO SISTEMA MODELO

Abstract

The tannery industries generate a large amounts of tannery effluents (TE), which have been considered highly toxic to various animal groups. However, the identification and characterization of the impact of this pollutant on birds is still very incipient. Thus, our objective was to evaluate the possible biological changes of C. coturnix japonica exposed for 45 days at different TE dilutions (1.4%, 3.1% and 6.5%) using behavioral, mutagenic and egg production biomarkers. When submitted to the behavioral tests, the quails that ingested TE presented behavior compatible with anxiolytic effect in the open field; absence of emotional reactivity in the object recognition test; reduced rate of predation of Tenebrio molitor larvae (potential prey); as well as ant predictive defensive response deficit when confronted especially with Felis catus male (predatory potential). In addition, we observed in these birds increased relative biomass of the liver, higher feed conversion index and lower feed efficiency index; mutagenic effect of ET (inferred by increased erythrocyte nuclear abnormalities); lower production performance and biomass egg production and reduced shell thickness, as well as a different staining pattern of the eggs produced by the quail of the control group. Therefore, our study confirms the toxicity of ET in C. coturnix japonica, even in small dilutions. While the behavioral changes demonstrate the neurotoxic potential of the pollutant, the other alterations suggest the mechanisms of action of its chemical constituents are not selective, that is, they act systemically, acting synergistically, antagonistically or additionally, causing detrimental effects to the animals.