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Recent Advances in the Assessment of Engineered Nanomaterials: Ecotoxicity, Cytotoxicity...
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Recent Advances in the Assessment of Engineered Nanomaterials: Ecotoxicity, Cytotoxicity and Genotoxicity

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Biology and Medicines".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 July 2022) | Viewed by 12354

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Dumitriţa Rugină

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Science and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăştur 3-5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Interests: nanomaterials; microfabrication technologies; applications on cell cultures; chromatography; spectroscopy; microscopy
Dr. Cristina Coman

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Food Science and Technology, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Interests: nanomaterials; nanobiointeractions; bioactive compounds; phytotoxicity; cytotoxicity; molecular spectroscopies; liquid chromatography
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The last 20 years have proven that nanotechnology provides tremendous benefits and numerous applications to society. Outstanding developments in this field have led to a continuous increase in the production and use of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) for everyday life applications, ranging from food and cosmetics, to biomedicine, electronics, energy production and storage, agriculture and environment. According to Nanodatabase (http://nanodb.dk/) currently there are more than 4712 products (October 2020) containing nanomaterials. Unfortunately, extended manufacturing and use generally causes significant amounts of ENMs to be released into the environment (air, water, soil) and the full toxicological picture in this regard is still to be elucidated. Concerns also arise due to their potential harmful effects on animals and humans. ENMs can reach the human body directly from the air, water, ingested or skin-applied products, or via trophic transfer. In this context, a growing interest has emerged to study the potentially toxic side effects of ENMs.

The aim of this Special Issue is to publish research on recent advances in nanoscience related to cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and ecotoxicity of the novel or currently existing nanomaterials, and their impact on the environment, living organisms and human health.

Dr. Dumitriţa Rugină
Dr. Cristina Coman
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nanomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Nanomaterials 
  • Nanobiointeractions 
  • Environmental impact 
  • Cytotoxicity 
  • Genotoxicity 
  • Phytotoxicity 
  • Nanoecotoxicology 
  • Size-related toxicity

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 18576 KiB  
Article
Identification of Zirconia Particle Uptake in Human Osteoblasts by ToF-SIMS Analysis and Particle-Size Effects on Cell Metabolism
by Alexander Welle, Kerstin Rabel, Matthias Schwotzer, Ralf Joachim Kohal, Thorsten Steinberg and Brigitte Altmann
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(23), 4272; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12234272 - 1 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1449
Abstract
As the use of zirconia-based nano-ceramics is rising in dentistry, the examination of possible biological effects caused by released nanoparticles on oral target tissues, such as bone, is gaining importance. The aim of this investigation was to identify a possible internalization of differently [...] Read more.
As the use of zirconia-based nano-ceramics is rising in dentistry, the examination of possible biological effects caused by released nanoparticles on oral target tissues, such as bone, is gaining importance. The aim of this investigation was to identify a possible internalization of differently sized zirconia nanoparticles (ZrNP) into human osteoblasts applying Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), and to examine whether ZrNP exposure affected the metabolic activity of the cells. Since ToF-SIMS has a low probing depth (about 5 nm), visualizing the ZrNP required the controlled erosion of the sample by oxygen bombardment. This procedure removed organic matter, uncovering the internalized ZrNP and leaving the hard particles practically unaffected. It was demonstrated that osteoblasts internalized ZrNP within 24 h in a size-dependent manner. Regarding the cellular metabolic activity, metabolization of alamarBlue by osteoblasts revealed a size- and time-dependent unfavorable effect of ZrNP, with the smallest ZrNP exerting the most pronounced effect. These findings point to different uptake efficiencies of the differently sized ZrNP by human osteoblasts. Furthermore, it was proven that ToF-SIMS is a powerful technique for the detection of zirconia-based nano/microparticles that can be applied for the cell-based validation of clinically relevant materials at the nano/micro scale. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in the Assessment of Engineered Nanomaterials: Ecotoxicity, Cytotoxicity and Genotoxicity)
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18 pages, 3829 KiB  
Article
DNA Oxidative Damage as a Sensitive Genetic Endpoint to Detect the Genotoxicity Induced by Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles
by Zhangjian Chen, Jiaqi Shi, Yi Zhang, Shuo Han, Jiahe Zhang and Guang Jia
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(15), 2616; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12152616 - 29 Jul 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1694
Abstract
The genotoxicity of nanomaterials has attracted great attention in recent years. As a possible occupational carcinogen, the genotoxic effects and underlying mechanisms of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) have been of particular concern. In this study, the effect of TiO2 NPs [...] Read more.
The genotoxicity of nanomaterials has attracted great attention in recent years. As a possible occupational carcinogen, the genotoxic effects and underlying mechanisms of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) have been of particular concern. In this study, the effect of TiO2 NPs (0, 25, 50 and 100 µg/mL) on DNA damage and the role of oxidative stress were investigated using human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) as an in vitro model. After detailed characterization, the cytotoxicity of TiO2 NPs was detected. Through transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we found that TiO2 NPs entered the cytoplasm but did not penetrate deep into the nucleus of cells. The intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner and the ratios of GSH/GSSG also significantly decreased. The results of the normal comet assay were negative, while the Fpg-modified comet assay that specifically detected DNA oxidative damage was positive. Meanwhile, N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) intervention inhibited the oxidative stress and genotoxicity induced by TiO2 NPs. Therefore, it was suggested that TiO2 NPs could induce cytotoxicity, oxidative stress and DNA oxidative damage in BEAS-2B cells. DNA oxidative damage may be a more sensitive genetic endpoint to detect the genotoxicity of TiO2 NPs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in the Assessment of Engineered Nanomaterials: Ecotoxicity, Cytotoxicity and Genotoxicity)
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20 pages, 2110 KiB  
Article
Repeated Exposure of Macrophages to Synthetic Amorphous Silica Induces Adaptive Proteome Changes and a Moderate Cell Activation
by Anaelle Torres, Véronique Collin-Faure, Hélène Diemer, Christine Moriscot, Daphna Fenel, Benoît Gallet, Sarah Cianférani, Jacques-Aurélien Sergent and Thierry Rabilloud
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(9), 1424; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12091424 - 22 Apr 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1931
Abstract
Synthetic amorphous silica (SAS) is a nanomaterial used in a wide variety of applications, including the use as a food additive. Two types of SAS are commonly employed as a powder additive, precipitated silica and fumed silica. Numerous studies have investigated the effects [...] Read more.
Synthetic amorphous silica (SAS) is a nanomaterial used in a wide variety of applications, including the use as a food additive. Two types of SAS are commonly employed as a powder additive, precipitated silica and fumed silica. Numerous studies have investigated the effects of synthetic amorphous silica on mammalian cells. However, most of them have used an exposure scheme based on a single dose of SAS. In this study, we have used instead a repeated 10-day exposure scheme in an effort to better simulate the occupational exposure encountered in daily life by consumers and workers. As a biological model, we have used the murine macrophage cell line J774A.1, as macrophages are very important innate immune cells in the response to particulate materials. In order to obtain a better appraisal of the macrophage responses to this repeated exposure to SAS, we have used proteomics as a wide-scale approach. Furthermore, some of the biological pathways detected as modulated by the exposure to SAS by the proteomic experiments have been validated through targeted experiments. Overall, proteomics showed that precipitated SAS induced a more important macrophage response than fumed SAS at equal dose. Nevertheless, validation experiments showed that most of the responses detected by proteomics are indeed adaptive, as the cellular homeostasis appeared to be maintained at the end of the exposure. For example, the intracellular glutathione levels or the mitochondrial transmembrane potential at the end of the 10 days exposure were similar for SAS-exposed cells and for unexposed cells. Similarly, no gross lysosomal damage was observed after repeated exposure to SAS. Nevertheless, important functions of macrophages such as phagocytosis, TNFα, and interleukin-6 secretion were up-modulated after exposure, as was the expression of important membrane proteins such as the scavenger receptors, MHC-II, or the MAC-1 receptor. These results suggest that repeated exposure to low doses of SAS slightly modulates the immune functions of macrophages, which may alter the homeostasis of the immune system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in the Assessment of Engineered Nanomaterials: Ecotoxicity, Cytotoxicity and Genotoxicity)
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19 pages, 50281 KiB  
Article
The Effect of TiO2 Nanoparticles on the Composition and Ultrastructure of Wheat
by Maria-Loredana Soran, Ildiko Lung, Ocsana Opriș, Otilia Culicov, Alexandra Ciorîță, Adina Stegarescu, Inga Zinicovscaia, Nikita Yushin, Konstantin Vergel, Irina Kacso and Gheorghe Borodi
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(12), 3413; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11123413 - 16 Dec 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2330
Abstract
The present work aims to follow the influence of TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) on bioactive compounds, the elemental content of wheat, and on wheat leaves’ ultrastructure. Synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and transmission [...] Read more.
The present work aims to follow the influence of TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) on bioactive compounds, the elemental content of wheat, and on wheat leaves’ ultrastructure. Synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The concentration of phenolic compounds, assimilation pigments, antioxidant capacity, elemental content, as well as the ultrastructural changes that may occur in the wheat plants grown in the presence or absence of TiO2 NPs were evaluated. In plants grown in the presence of TiO2 NPs, the amount of assimilating pigments and total polyphenols decreased compared to the control sample, while the antioxidant activity of plants grown in amended soil was higher than those grown in control soil. Following ultrastructural analysis, no significant changes were observed in the leaves of TiO2-treated plants. Application of TiO2 NPs to soil caused a significant reaction of the plant to stress conditions. This was revealed by the increase of antioxidant capacity and the decrease of chlorophyll, total polyphenols, and carotenoids. Besides, the application of TiO2 NPs led to significant positive (K, Zn, Br, and Mo) and negative (Na, Mn, Fe, As, Sr, Sb, and Ba) variation of content. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in the Assessment of Engineered Nanomaterials: Ecotoxicity, Cytotoxicity and Genotoxicity)
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27 pages, 7357 KiB  
Article
Preparation and Physicochemical Characterization of Water-Soluble Pyrazole-Based Nanoparticles by Dendrimer Encapsulation of an Insoluble Bioactive Pyrazole Derivative
by Silvana Alfei, Chiara Brullo, Debora Caviglia and Guendalina Zuccari
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(10), 2662; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11102662 - 10 Oct 2021
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 2037
Abstract
2-(4-Bromo-3,5-diphenyl-pyrazol-1-yl)-ethanol (BBB4) was synthetized and successfully evaluated concerning numerous biological activities, except for antimicrobial and cytotoxic effects. Due to the antimicrobial effects possessed by pyrazole nucleus, which have been widely reported, and the worldwide need for new antimicrobial agents, we thought it would [...] Read more.
2-(4-Bromo-3,5-diphenyl-pyrazol-1-yl)-ethanol (BBB4) was synthetized and successfully evaluated concerning numerous biological activities, except for antimicrobial and cytotoxic effects. Due to the antimicrobial effects possessed by pyrazole nucleus, which have been widely reported, and the worldwide need for new antimicrobial agents, we thought it would be interesting to test BBB4 and to evaluate its possible antibacterial effects. Nevertheless, since it is water-insoluble, the future clinical application of BBB4 will remain utopic unless water-soluble BBB4 formulations are developed. To this end, before implementing biological evaluations, BBB4 was herein re-synthetized and characterized, and a new water-soluble BBB4-based nano-formulation was developed by its physical entrapment in a biodegradable non-cytotoxic cationic dendrimer (G4K), without recovering harmful solvents as DMSO or surfactants. The obtained BBB4 nanoparticles (BBB4-G4K NPs) showed good drug loading (DL%), satisfying encapsulation efficiency (EE%), and a biphasic quantitative release profile governed by first-order kinetics after 24 h. Additionally, BBB4-G4K was characterized by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, NMR, SEM, dynamic light scattering analysis (DLS), and potentiometric titration experiments. While, before the nanotechnological manipulation, BBB4 was completely water-insoluble, in the form of BBB4-G4K NPs, its water-solubility resulted in being 105-fold higher than that of the pristine form, thus establishing the feasibility of its clinical application. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in the Assessment of Engineered Nanomaterials: Ecotoxicity, Cytotoxicity and Genotoxicity)
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11 pages, 2099 KiB  
Article
Fluorescent Polyelectrolyte System to Track Anthocyanins Delivery inside Melanoma Cells
by Raluca Ghiman, Madalina Nistor, Monica Focșan, Adela Pintea, Simion Aștilean and Dumitrita Rugina
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(3), 782; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11030782 - 19 Mar 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1873
Abstract
Over the past decades, there has been a growing interest in using natural molecules with therapeutic potential for biomedical applications. In this context, our aim is focused on anthocyanins (AN) as molecules with anticancer properties that could be used in melanoma local therapies. [...] Read more.
Over the past decades, there has been a growing interest in using natural molecules with therapeutic potential for biomedical applications. In this context, our aim is focused on anthocyanins (AN) as molecules with anticancer properties that could be used in melanoma local therapies. Due to their susceptibility to environmental changes, current study is based on the design and development of a fluorescent system for carrying and trafficking AN inside melanoma cells. The architectural structure of the proposed system CaCO3(PAH)@RBITC@AN reflects a spherical shape, 1080 nm diameter and a solid groundwork CaCO3(PAH), on which rhodamine B isothiocyanate (RBITC) fluorophore was firstly added; then, poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) polyelectrolytes and poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) were successfully deposited. Purified AN from chokeberries were entrapped between PAA layers (rate of 94.6%). In vitro tests confirmed that CaCO3(PAH)@RBITC@AN does not affect the proliferation of melanoma B16-F10 cells and proved that their internalization and trafficking can be followed after 24 h of treatment. Data presented here could contribute not only to the existing knowledge about the encapsulation technology of AN but also might bring relevant information for a novel formula to deliver therapeutic molecules or other bio-imaging agents directly into melanoma cells, a strategy that could positively improve tumor therapies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in the Assessment of Engineered Nanomaterials: Ecotoxicity, Cytotoxicity and Genotoxicity)
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