Review: Mytilus galloprovincialis: An essential, low-cost model organism for the impact of xenobiotics on oxidative stress and public health

The level of pollution becomes more and more of a pressuring matter for humankind at a worldwide level. Often the focus is on the effects that we can directly and see such as decreased air quality and higher than normal temperatures and weather, but the effects we cannot see are frequently overlooked. For at least the past decade increasing importance has been given towards the effects of pollution of living animals or non-target organisms and plants. For this purpose, one model animal that surfaced is the purpose, one model animal surfaced is Mytilus galloprovincialis. As all mussels, this species is capable of bio-accumulating important quantities of different xenobiotics such as pesticides, paints, medicines, heavy metals, industrial compounds, and even compounds marketed as antioxidants and antivirals. Their toxic effects can be assessed through their impact on oxidative stress, lysosomal membrane stability, and cell viability through trypan blue exclusion test and neutral red retention assay techniques. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the benefits of using M. galloprovincialis as an animal model for toxicological assays of various classes of xenobiotics by bringing to light the studies that have approached the matter.

Automated summary

The increasing level of pollution has become a pressing issue for humankind worldwide. While the direct effects of pollution such as decreased air quality and abnormal temperatures are often focused on, the unseen effects are frequently overlooked. In recent years, more attention has been given to the effects of pollution on living organisms and plants, and a model animal called Mytilus galloprovincialis has emerged. This species of mussel is capable of accumulating various xenobiotics and can be used for toxicological assessments. This paper aims to highlight the benefits of using M. galloprovincialis as an animal model for toxicological assays by reviewing relevant studies.