Cardiotoxicological assessment of crocin-coated silver nanoparticles in an experimental rat model

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely used for various industrial and biomedical applications; however, their potential cardiotoxicity remains insufficiently understood and requires further investigation. We evaluated the cardiotoxic effects of AgNPs and crocin-coated AgNPs (CR-AgNPs) administered at doses of 20, 40, and 80 µg/kg in male Wistar rats. Forty-two rats were randomly allocated to seven groups as follows: The groups included a control group (normal saline), three AgNPs-treated groups (20, 40, and 80 µg/kg), and three crocin-coated AgNPs-treated groups (20, 40, and 80 µg/kg), all of which received treatment via oral gavage for 30 days. At the end of the experiment, the animals were anesthetized with ketamine and xylazine, and blood samples and cardiac tissues were collected for biochemical and histopathological analyses. Our findings showed that malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were significantly increased in the AgNPs 80 group compared with the control group. In addition, administration of CR-AgNPs at 80 µg/kg significantly reduced MDA levels compared with the AgNPs 80 group. Histopathological examination confirmed the toxic effect of AgNPs at 80 µg/kg, as evidenced by mild interstitial edema and localized separation of myocardial muscle fibers. In conclusion, these findings suggest that CR-AgNPs may represent a safer alternative for pharmaceutical applications by reducing the risk of subacute cardiotoxicity in experimental animals. Further investigations are required to provide additional evidence in this field.