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Development & Characterization of Fluorescently Tagged Nanocellulose for Nanotoxicological Studies
Maryam Salari1, Dimitrios Bitounis1, Kunal Bhattacharya1
1Center for Nanotechnology and Nanotoxicology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 07016, USA.
Environmental Science. Nano
|December 18, 2019
Summary
Fluorescently tagged nanocellulose materials (CNM) were developed to study biological interactions. These novel materials showed no cytotoxicity and comparable bioactivity to untagged CNM, making them suitable for safety assessments.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Nanocellulose-based engineered nanomaterials (CNM) are increasingly used across industries.
- This widespread adoption raises environmental health and safety (EHS) concerns regarding their biological interactions.
- Studying CNM behavior in biological systems is crucial for risk assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop fluorescently tagged CNM for studying their interactions with biological systems.
- To assess the stability of the fluorescent tag (FITC) under various physiological conditions.
- To evaluate the potential cytotoxicity of FITC-tagged CNM.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of cellulose nano-fibrils (CNF) and cellulose nano-crystals (CNC) with covalently attached fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC).
- Assessment of FITC fluorescence and detachment under different pH conditions (gastrointestinal tract, intracellular compartments, cell culture media).
- Cytotoxicity evaluation using a cellular gut epithelium model.
Main Results:
- FITC-tagged CNM (FITC-CNF and FITC-CNC) were successfully synthesized.
- The fluorescence of FITC-tagged CNM remained stable under tested pH conditions, with minimal FITC detachment.
- No significant cytotoxicity was observed for FITC-CNF or FITC-CNC.
- FITC-tagged CNM exhibited bioactivity comparable to their untagged counterparts.
Conclusions:
- Fluorescently tagged nanocellulose materials are viable tools for investigating CNM interactions in biological systems.
- The developed FITC-tagged CNM are non-cytotoxic and retain bioactivity, ensuring reliable results in biological studies.
- These findings support the safe use and further investigation of nanocellulose materials in various applications.
