Introduction: Glyphosate (GLY) is the most commonly used herbicide which is applied to a wide variety of crops. Farmers are exposed more to the toxic effects of GLY than any other group of people, through consumption of contaminated food and water, among other sources. Purpose: To carry out a comprehensive review of studies on the effects of GLY at the level of oxidative stress, neurotoxicity, carcinogenicity and reproductive toxicity. Methods: A literature review was conducted using combinations of the keywords: glyphosate, oxidative stress, neurotoxicity, carcinogenicity and reproductive toxicity. The free data scientific databases used were PUBMED, FreeFullPDF.com and Google Scholar. Results: The search revealed that GLY reduces levels of glutathione (GSH) in epidermal cell lines, and increases the liver and kidney levels of GSH and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). It activates the antioxidant defense system and produces hepatic leakage of enzymes such as aminolevulinic acid synthase (ALA) and aspartate amino transferase (ASAT). It acts through a mechanism similar to that of glutamic acid (Glu) agonists, which bring about neuronal death through receptor activation. It is positively associated with non-Hodgkin lymphomas, and shows clear evidence of tendency to induce renal tubule carcinoma, hemangiosarcoma, pancreatic islet adenomas and estrogen-dependent breast cancer. Glyphosate (GLY) inhibits the synthesis of testosterone and reduces fertility up to 20 % in humans. Conclusion: GLY activates oxidative mechanisms, produces neuronal death, causes reproductive damage, and has carcinogenic potential. However, its classification as a harmful agent is thought to be mainly due to its indiscriminate use.
