Assessment of Toxic Effects of Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles in Allium cepa Roots

Despite the widespread application of zinc oxide nanoparticles in biomedicine, their use is still a controversial issue. Zinc oxide nanoparticles were reported to have therapeutic benefits. However, they were reported to have toxicological hazards as well. Several studies reported the antibacterial, anticancer, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles. Additionally, zinc oxide nanoparticles were used in sunscreens. Furthermore, the ability to use zinc oxide nanoparticles as an adjuvant treatment to alleviate the toxic effects of chemotherapeutic drugs has been reported. However, zinc oxide nanoparticles were shown to induce toxic effects in different body organs and systems. The affected organs included liver, spleen, kidney, stomach, pancreas, heart and lung. In addition, zinc oxide nanoparticles were reported to adversely affect the neurological system, lymphatic system, hematological indices, sex hormones levels, and fetal development. The toxic effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles were based on their concentration, their dose, the route of their administration, and the time of exposure to those particles. Thus, it is crucial to assess their efficacy and safety to determine their toxicological risks and therapeutic benefits.

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Toxic effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles and histopathological and caspase-9 expression changes in the liver and lung tissues of male mice model

Applied Nanoscience ◽

10.1007/s13204-021-02248-x ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Ali A. A. Al-Ali ◽

Shatha Q. Al-Tamimi ◽

Sami J. Al-Maliki ◽

Mohd Azmuddin Abdullah

Keyword(s):

Zinc Oxide ◽

Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles ◽

Toxic Effects ◽

Oxide Nanoparticles ◽

Male Mice ◽

Mice Model ◽

Caspase 9

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Silver, titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide nanoparticles trigger miRNA/isomiR expression changes in THP-1 cells that are proportional to their health hazard potential

Nanotoxicology ◽

10.1080/17435390.2019.1661040 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 13 (10) ◽

pp. 1380-1395 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Joseph Ndika ◽

Umair Seemab ◽

Wing-Lam Poon ◽

Vittorio Fortino ◽

Hani El-Nezami ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Zinc Oxide ◽

Titanium Dioxide ◽

Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles ◽

Health Hazard ◽

Oxide Nanoparticles ◽

Hazard Potential

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Hazardous phytotoxic nature of cobalt and zinc oxide nanoparticles assessed using Allium cepa

Journal of Hazardous Materials ◽

10.1016/j.jhazmat.2010.11.018 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 186 (1) ◽

pp. 952-955 ◽

Cited By ~ 98

Author(s):

Gajanan Ghodake ◽

Yeong Deuk Seo ◽

Dae Sung Lee

Keyword(s):

Zinc Oxide ◽

Allium Cepa ◽

Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles ◽

Oxide Nanoparticles

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Zinc Oxide and Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Impact on In Vitro Germination and Seedling Growth in Allium cepa L.

Materials ◽

10.3390/ma13122784 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (12) ◽

pp. 2784 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Alicja Tymoszuk ◽

Jacek Wojnarowicz

Keyword(s):

Zinc Oxide ◽

Seed Germination ◽

Allium Cepa ◽

Seedling Growth ◽

Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles ◽

Oxide Nanoparticles ◽

Zno Nps ◽

Allium Cepa L ◽

Germinating Seeds

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are ones of the most commonly manufactured nanomaterials worldwide. They can be used as a zinc fertilizer in agriculture to enhance yielding and to control the occurrence of diseases thanks to its broad antifungal and antibacterial action. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the effects of ZnO submicron particles (ZnO SMPs) and ZnO NPs on the process of in vitro seed germination and seedling growth in onion (Allium cepa L. ‘Sochaczewska’), and to indicate the potential use of these compounds in onion production. In the experiment, disinfected seeds were inoculated on the modified Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium and poured with ZnO SMP or ZnO NP water suspension, at the concentrations of 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, and 3200 mg∙L−1. During three successive weeks, the germinating seeds were counted. Germination started most often on the second or third day of in vitro culture. The highest share of germination was recorded for seeds treated with 800 mg∙L−1 ZnO SMPs and ZnO NPs (52% and 56%, respectively). After the application of ZnO SMPs and ZnO NPs at the highest tested concentration (3200 mg∙L−1), the share of germinating seeds was only 19% and 11%, respectively. Interestingly, seedlings obtained from control seeds and seeds treated with ZnO SMPs and ZnO NPs did not differ statistically in terms of length, fresh weight, and dry weight of leaves, and roots. Both ZnO SMPs and ZnO NPs, in the concentration range from 50 to 1600 mg∙L−1, can be used to stimulate the germination process of onion seeds, without negative effects on the further growth and development of seedlings. There were no differences found between the action of ZnO NPs and ZnO SMPs, which suggested that the most important factor influencing seed germination was in fact the concentration of zinc ions, not the particle size.

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