Toxicological assessment of benzalkonium chloride using planaria mobility: a comparison of manual and digital tracking methods

Habel, M. M., Williams, A. C. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3654-7916 and Khutoryanskiy, V. V. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7221-2630 (2025) Toxicological assessment of benzalkonium chloride using planaria mobility: a comparison of manual and digital tracking methods. Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology, 120. 104850. ISSN 1872-7077 doi: 10.1016/j.etap.2025.104850

Abstract/Summary

The principle of the 3Rs—Reduction, Refinement, and Replacement—encourages minimizing animal use, improving experimental design, and developing alternative models for toxicology testing. Among such models, planaria (aquatic flatworms) have gained increasing attention in pharmacology, regenerative medicine, and toxicology because of their simple anatomy, high environmental sensitivity, exceptional regenerative ability, and ease of laboratory maintenance. In this study, we examined the effects of benzalkonium chloride (BAC)—a commonly used pharmaceutical excipient with antimicrobial and permeability-enhancing properties, as well as a known environmental toxicant—on the locomotor activity of Schmidtea mediterranea using both manual assessment and Lolitrack video-tracking software. Six concentrations of BAC (5–1000 μg/mL) and a negative control were tested. Both approaches showed an overall reduction in locomotor activity over time, though manual analysis indicated a transient stimulation at lower concentrations. The software-based method demonstrated greater reliability, precision, and objectivity, making it preferable for toxicity evaluation in planaria.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/id/eprint/125306
Identification Number/DOI	10.1016/j.etap.2025.104850
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Life Sciences > School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy > School of Pharmacy > Pharmaceutics Research Group
Publisher	Elsevier
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