Genotoxicity of physical silver nanoparticles, produced by the HVAD method, for Chinchilla lanigera genome.

Each year, growing demand for silver nanoparticles (AgNP) contributes to the search for alternative methods of their production. Stable AgNP with antibacterial properties, low toxicity to the environment and living organisms are especially valued. In the study presented here, an attempt was made to assess the toxicity of two AgNP solutions produced using the HVAD method to the Chinchilla lanigera genome. The AgNO3 solution was the indicator and reference for the harmfulness of AgNP. The study was carried out in vitro on bone marrow cells isolated from Chinchilla lanigera bones. The genotoxicity was assessed by comet assay, following the treatment of cells with three silver solutions: unstable and sodium citrate-stabilized silver nanoparticles, as well as silver nitrate at three concentrations (5, 10 and 20 µg/L), after 3, 6 and 24 h. Based on the percentage of the DNA content in the comet tail and the tail moment, an increase in cell DNA integrity disruption was demonstrated in all tested variants: of solution, exposure time and concentration, compared to the control sample. A statistically significant correlation was determined between the level of induced DNA breaks and the concentration of the active solutions and the duration of their activity. A solution of silver nanoparticles stabilized with sodium citrate was shown to have the most harmful effect on bone marrow cells. Silver nitrate demonstrated a level of toxicity similar to these particles. Further studies are necessary to directly compare the genotoxic properties of AgNP produced using the HVAD method and the chemical method under the same conditions.

The effect of silver nanoparticles on phytopathogenic spores of Fusarium culmorum.

The aim of the present experiment was to investigate the influence of silver nanoparticles on Fusarium culmorum (W.G. Smith) Sacc. (FC) spores. The silver nanoparticles were produced by the high-voltage arc discharge method. To test the effect of silver nanoparticles on FC spores, 3 parameters were tested. One of these parameters was the vegetative mycelial growth in 2 experiments. The first involved the growth of FC spores on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium after contact with 0.12-10 ppm of silver nanoparticles, and the second the growth of spores after contact with 0.12-2.5 ppm solutions of silver, but with culturing on 3 types of media (PDA, nutrient-poor PDA, and agar) instead. The next parameter was the formation of spores after the mycelia were cultured. The last parameter was spore germination in a 2.5 ppm solution of silver nanoparticles. A significant reduction in mycelial growth was observed for spores incubated with silver nanoparticles. This relationship was dependent on the incubation time and type of growth medium, but did not depend significantly on the concentration of silver nanoparticles up to 2.5 ppm. The sporulation test showed that, relative to control samples, the number of spores formed by mycelia increased in the culture after contact with silver nanoparticles, especially on the nutrient-poor PDA medium. The 24 h incubation of FC spores with a 2.5 ppm solution of silver nanoparticles greatly reduced the number of germinating fragments and sprout length relative to the control.