Study on the Antifibrotic Property of Biogenic Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Using Coriolus versicolor in the Rat Liver...

Liver fibrosis, a complex chronic disease, needs effective treatment to prevent cirrhosis and liver damage. Conventional therapy is ineffective due to inadequate delivery to liver cells and associated risks of toxicity and drug resistance, necessitating the development of innovative treatment approaches. The current study innovatively synthesized ZnO nanoparticles from Coriolus versicolor fungal extract and evaluated their antifibrotic properties, offering a promising approach for liver fibrosis treatment. We successfully synthesized ZnO NPs using zinc nitrate hexahydrate and Coriolus versicolor extract at 65 °C and 450 rpm for 4 h. This ZnO NPs exhibited an optimal particle size of 289 nm, moderate PDI of 0.615, and zeta potential of - 12.8 mV. UV spectroscopic analysis showed a strong absorbance peak at 341 nm in UV spectroscopic analysis and also revealed characteristic ZnO nanoparticles formation in SEM, FTIR, and XRD. In vivo study, Wistar rats were divided into five groups: healthy control, disease control (CCl₄ injection), Coriolus versicolor treated, Zn treated, and ZnO nanoparticle-treated groups, followed by 3 weeks of treatment, until the 8th week. Hematological analysis revealed no significant changes but increased serum AST and ALT levels were noticed. Elevated oxidative stress indicated decreased antioxidant activity in FRAP and DPPH assays in disease control groups. Ultrasonography, along with histopathological examination, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot analysis, revealed significant liver damage in the fibrosis model. In contrast, ZnO nanoparticle treatment showed marked improvement in liver architecture. Overall, this study exhibited a better ameliorative effect of ZnO nanoparticles on liver fibrosis as compared to other treated groups.