1H NMR-based metabolomics analysis of adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) after exposure to diniconazole as well as its bioaccumulation behavior.

As a systemic triazole fungicide, limited information is known about diniconazole. In this study, toxicological effects and bioaccumulation behavior of diniconazole in zebrafish were both evaluated to perform an overall assessment of its environmental risk towards aquatic organisms. The 1H NMR-based metabolomics analysis revealed that 70 μg L-1 diniconazole exposure increased valine, leucine, isoleucine, alanine, lactate and choline, accompanied by decreased glucose, creatine and taurine, in comparison to the control. In the exposure group of 300 μg L-1 diniconazole, only down-regulated glucose and creatine were observed. The above results indicated that diniconazole disturbed energy metabolism, amino acid metabolism and lipid metabolism. Histological examination showed that the swell and vacuolization in the liver, as well as the reduction of spermatids in the diniconazole exposure groups. No enantioselectivity was observed in the bioaccumulation process of both 70 and 300 μg L-1 diniconazole exposure groups. The above results play a vital role for a comprehensive environmental assessment of diniconazole.