Sains Malaysiana 48(1)(2019): 69–73

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2019-4801-08

Short-Term Cytotoxicity of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles on Chlorella vulgaris

(Ketoksikan Jangka Pendek Zarah Nano Zink Oksida ke atas Chlorella vulgaris)

SINOUVASSANE DJEARAMANE¹, LING SHING WONG², YANG MOOI LIM³ & POH FOONG LEE^1*

¹Department of Mechatronics & Biomedical Engineering, Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, 43000 Bandar Sungai Long, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

²Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, INTI International University, 71800 Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

³Department of Pre-Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, 43000 Bandar Sungai Long, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Received: 26 April 2017/Accepted: 12 February 2018

ABSTRACT

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are widely used in industrial and personal care products. The use of these nanoparticles (NPs) has created residues that contaminate the environment, thus cytotoxicity studies of the NPs in biological system is required. Most of the recent cytotoxicity studies has however focused on long-term exposure of the NPs to the biological system. In this study, the cytotoxicity effects of short-term exposure of ZnO NPs to Chlorella vulgaris are reported. The algal cells were exposed to 10, 50, 100, 150, and 200 mg/L of ZnO NPs for 12 h. The toxicity effects of ZnO NPs were then determined through the changes in fluorescence emission of chlorophyll, algal biomass and the viable cell count. The results showed a decrease in the chlorophyll content, algal biomass and cell viability after treatment with ZnO NPs as compared with control. Through this study, the effects of ZnO NPs to C. vulgaris were confirmed. The significant responses of the algal cells to ZnO NPs in a short duration of exposure reflect the potential of the algal cells to be used as bioindicators of ZnO NPs in the aquatic environment.

Keywords: Algal cells; Chlorella vulgaris; short-term cytotoxicity; zinc oxide nanoparticles

ABSTRACT

Zarah nano zink oksida (ZnO NP) digunakan secara meluas dalam produk industri dan penjagaan peribadi. Penggunaan zarah nano tersebut telah menghasilkan residu yang membawa pencemaran kepada alam sekitar. Oleh itu, kajian kesan kesitotoksikan ZnO NP terhadap sistem biologi amat diperlukan. Namun, kajian kesan kesitotoksikan pada masa ini lebih tertumpu kepada kesan jangka panjang terhadap sistem biologi. Oleh itu, dalam kajian ini, kesan kesitotoksikan jangka masa pendek ZnO NP terhadap Chlorella vulgaris telah dilaporkan. Sel alga tersebut telah didedahkan kepada ZnO NP dengan kepekatan yang berbeza (10, 50, 100, 150 dan 200 mg/L) untuk jangka masa sehingga 12 jam. Kesan kesitotoksikan ZnO NP pada sel alga telah dipantau melalui perubahan pendarfluoran klorofil, perubahan biojisim dan kemandirian sel alga. Pendedahan sel alga kepada ZnO NP telah mengakibatkan pengurangan kandungan klorofil, biojisim dan kemandirian sel alga. Melalui kajian ini, kesan ZnO NP terhadap C. vulgaris telah dikenal pasti. Keupayaan C. vulgaris bertindak balas dengan ZnO NP dalam jangka masa yang pendek menampilkan potensi alga tersebut digunakan sebagai petunjuk biologi untuk penilaian ketoksikan ZnO NP dalam persekitaran akuatik.

Kata kunci: Chlorella vulgaris; kesitotoksikan jangka pendek; sel alga; zarah nano zink oksida

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*Corresponding author; email: leepf@utar.edu.my