The utilizations of in vivo, in vitro and in silico tests in ecotoxicological studies: a narrative review

Abstract

With increasing demand for chemicals, the environment is increasingly exposed to toxic substances. To assess these exposures, ecotoxicological studies appear as an important tool. Tests for evaluations can be divided into in vivo, in vitro and in silico. The in vivo one differs from the others, as it uses living organisms in experimentation. The use of living organisms in research is an issue that has been discussed for a long time. There is a consensus among researchers on the importance of applying the 3Rs principles (reduction, substitution and refinement). Knowing this, the objective of the review is to evaluate the literature regarding the use of in vivo studies, emphasizing the relationship between model and non-model organisms for ecotoxicological studies, within the context of alternative tools such as in vitro and in silico assays. The review highlighted the increase in ecotoxicological studies in recent years and the importance of these studies for the assessment of environmental impacts. Daphnia magna is the most used invertebrate model organism in studies, while Danio rerio represents the most used vertebrate organism. The in vitro and in silico tests showed a large number of works carried out, which shows the importance of these tools, especially considering the application of the 3Rs. However, the work brought the importance of understanding which organism is being used in the study and how they vary within the different approaches.

DOI: 10.56238/pacfdnsv1-018