NMR-based metabolomics applied to ecotoxicology with zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a prominent model for metabolic profiling and biomarker discovery: Overviewing the most recent approaches

Metabolomics is an innovative approach used in the medical, toxicological, and biological sciences. As an interdisci-plinary topic, metabolomics and its relation with the environment and toxicological research are extensive. The use of substances, such as drugs and pesticides, contributes to the continuous releasing of xenobiotics into the environ-ment, harming organisms and their habitats. In this context, fish are important bioindicators of the environmental condition and have often been used as model species. Among them, zebrafish (Danio rerio) presents itself as a versatile and straightforward option due to its unique attributes for research. Zebrafish proves to be a valuable model for tox-icity assays and also for metabolomics profiling by analytical tools. Thus, NMR-based metabolomics associated with statistical analysis can reasonably assist researchers in critical factors related to discovering and validating biomarkers through accurate diagnosis. Therefore, this review aimed to report the studies that applied zebrafish as a model for (eco)toxicological assays and essentially utilized NMR-based metabolomics analysis to assess the biochemical profile and thus suggest the potential biological marker.

Automated summary

Metabolomics is an innovative approach used in medical, toxicological, and biological sciences, and its relation to the environment and toxicological research is extensive. The continuous release of xenobiotics into the environment by substances like drugs and pesticides harms organisms and their habitats. Zebrafish, particularly, has characteristics that make it a versatile and straightforward option for toxicity assays and metabolomics profiling. NMR-based metabolomics, combined with statistical analysis, can help researchers discover and validate biomarkers for accurate diagnosis. This review focuses on studies that use zebrafish as a model for (eco)toxicological assays and utilize NMR-based metabolomics analysis to assess the biochemical profile and suggest potential biological markers.