Exposure the Hazardous Potential of Quinalphos: An In‐Depth Analysis for Environmental and Biological Effects on Human Health

Abstract

ABSTRACT Quinalphos pesticide (QP) exposure can lead to various human health effects, including anaemia, leucocytosis with neutrophilia, hepatic damage and oxidative stress. Acute poisoning symptoms include weakness, sweating, impaired vision and neurological distress. Additionally, neurological and reproductive abnormalities have been reported in specific exposure scenarios. This study identified 16 differentially expressed genes from clinical exposure research. Integrating omics data using network biology approaches has shown that QP significantly alters the expression of 16 genes predicted to be regulated by 26 transcription factors and 41 miRNAs. The molecular docking predicted AR, ESR1, NR1I2, ESR2, CYP19A1 and JUN to have the highest binding affinity with QP. Gene ontology analysis of the DEGs revealed enrichment in pathways related to genital development, oestrogen receptor signalling, prostate gland development and response to vitamin A. The three most influential pathways by these DEGs are detected with significant enrichment in diseases, and they are linked to Cytochrome P450, arranged by substrate type, nuclear receptor transcription pathway and SUMOylation of intracellular receptors. The analysis identified 1445 drugs for 15 genes for potential drug repurposing. The network was pruned by applying the threshold value 0.1 STITCH database and score value 0.1 of the DGIdb database, resulting in the identification of 446 drug (approved and non‐approved) therapeutic targets. This analysis provides a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of QP‐induced toxicity, focusing on humans, and underscores the need for further studies on exposure to QP, providing valuable insights for toxicological risk assessment and regulatory evaluation.