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Synthesis of functionalized fluorescent silver nanoparticles and their toxicological effect in aquatic environments
Elisabete Oliveira1, Hugo M Santos2, Javier Garcia-Pardo3
1Bioscope Group, REQUIMTE, Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science and Technology, University Nova of Lisbon Lisbon, Portugal ; Veterinary Science Departments, CECAV, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro Vila Real, Portugal.
Abstract:
Silver nanoparticles, AgNPs, are widely used in our daily life, mostly due to their antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. However, their potential toxicity remains unclear. In order to unravel this issue, emissive AgNPs were first synthetized using an inexpensive photochemical method, and then their permeation was assessed in vivo in goldfish and in vitro in human hepatoma cells (HepG2). In addition, the oxidative stress caused by AgNPs was assessed in enzymes such as glutathione-S-transferase (GST), catalase (CAT), and in lipid peroxidation (LPO). This study demonstrates that the smallest sized AgNPs@3 promote the largest changes in gold fish livers, whereas AgNPs@1 were found to be toxic in HEPG2 cells depending on both the size and functionalized/stabilizer ligand.
