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Surface capping and size-dependent toxicity of gold nanoparticles on different trophic levels

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Abstract

In the present study, the toxicity of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) was evaluated on various trophic organisms. Bacteria, algae, cell line, and mice were used as models representing different trophic levels. Two different sizes (CIT30 and CIT40) and surface-capped (CIT30–polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP)-capped) Au NPs were selected. CIT30 Au NP aggregated more rapidly than CIT40 Au NP, while an additional capping of PVP (CIT30–PVP capped Au NP) was found to enhance its stability in sterile lake water medium. Interestingly, all the forms of NPs evaluated were stable in the cell culture medium during the exposure period. Size- and dose-dependent cytotoxicities were observed in both bacteria and algae, with a strong dependence on reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release. CIT30–PVP capped Au NP showed a significant decrease in toxicity compared to CIT30 Au NP in bacteria and algae. In the SiHa cell line, dose- and exposure-dependent decline in cell viability were noted for all three types of Au NPs. In mice, the induction of DNA damage was size and dose dependent, and surface functionalization with PVP reduced the toxic effects of CIT30 Au NP. The exposure to CIT30, CIT40, and CIT30–PVP capped Au NPs caused an alteration of the oxidative stress-related endpoints in mice hepatocytes. The toxic effects of the gold nanoparticles were found to vary in diverse test systems, accentuating the importance of size and surface functionalization at different trophic levels.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Advanced Facility for Microscopy and Microanalysis (AFMM), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, for the transmission electron microscopy facility and the Center for Research in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (CRNN), University of Calcutta, for the instrumentation facilities.

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    1. Centre for Nanobiotechnology, VIT University, Vellore, 632014, India

      V. Iswarya, Rajdeep Roy, J. B. Johnson, N. Chandrasekaran & Amitava Mukherjee

    2. Cell Biology and Genetic Toxicology Lab, Centre of Advanced Study, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, 700019, India

      J. Manivannan, Arpita De, Subhabrata Paul, Rita Kundu & Anita Mukherjee

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    For the mice model study, the ethical clearance for the use of animals in the study was obtained from the institutional animal ethics committee.

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    Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

    V. Iswarya and Arpita De contributed equally to this work.

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    Iswarya, V., Manivannan, J., De, A. et al. Surface capping and size-dependent toxicity of gold nanoparticles on different trophic levels. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 4844–4858 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-5683-0

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