herbicide-health-effects
Herbicide health effects research examines how chemical compounds used to control unwanted plant growth interact with biological systems, including potential impacts on human health and non-target organisms. Understanding these effects is critical in plant science because it informs the development of safer, more selective herbicides that minimize off-target damage to crops, beneficial plants, and ecosystems. This field bridges agronomy and toxicology, helping researchers balance effective weed management with environmental and public health considerations.
PubMed · 2026-04-02
Herbicides don't just kill weeds — they hit biological targets that humans and plants share. This review identifies specific enzymes disrupted by herbicide exposure in humans and links them to immune dysfunction and gut microbiome damage, proposing these enzymes as early warning biomarkers for herbicide-related disease.
Four key enzymes — HPPD, ACC, GS, and PPO — are confirmed molecular targets of herbicides in both plants and humans, making them candidate biomarkers for early detection of herbicide-induced harm.
Several of these shared enzymes play active roles in regulating the immune response, meaning herbicide exposure may disrupt immune function through direct enzyme inhibition.
Herbicide target enzymes are also present in gut microbiota bacteria and fungi, providing a plausible mechanistic link between herbicide exposure and intestinal dysbiosis, which is increasingly associated with chronic diseases.