ABSTRACT
Objective To study the renal toxic effect of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiNPs) prepared by chemical and green route. Methods TiNPs were prepared by chemical (sol gel technique) and green route (using aqueous extract of Desmodium gangeticum root by using titanium tetraisopropoxide as precursor). Thus prepared TiNPs were characterized using UV–visible spectrophotometry, X-ray diffractometry and evaluated its renal toxic impact in different experimental models viz., Wistar rats (100 mg/kg b.wt.; oral), LLC-PK1 cells (100 mg/mL) and isolated renal mitochondria (0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg/mL). Results Compared to the chemically synthesized TiNPs, Desmodium gangeticum synthesized nanoparticles showed less nephrotoxicity, determined by elevated serum renal markers like urea (62%), creatinine (35%), aspartate aminotransferase (61%) and alanine transaminase (37%) and the result was in agreement with cellular toxicity (measured by MTT assay and lactate dehydrogenase activity). Further toxicity evaluation at the level of mitochondria showed not much significant difference in TiNPs effect between two synthetic routes. Conclusions The biochemical findings in renal tissue and epithelial cell (LLC-PK1) supported by histopathology examination and isolated mitochondrial activity showed minor toxicity with TiNPs prepared by green route (TiNP DG) than TiNP Chem.