Toxicity Evaluation of Dextran Coated Ferrite Nanomaterials After Acute Oral Exposure to Wistar Rats

Abstract

Dextran Coated Ferrite Nanomaterials (DFNM) of size <25 nm was synthesized, characterized and the acute oral toxicity along with antioxidant enzymes activities were evaluated in Wistar rats. The healthy adult rats were orally administered with 300 and 2000 mg/kg body weight of DFNM using a gastric needle and observed for 14 days. None of the animals showed any adverse effects/toxicity at the end of observation period. After two weeks of administration, blood was collected and subjected to haematological and biochemical analysis. Animals were sacrificed and gross necropsy was done on all animals. Liver was dissected; homogenized (10% homogenate) and rate of formation of lipid peroxides were evaluated. In addition, the concentration of reduced glutathione and the activity of vital antioxidant enzymes like glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase was determined. The result of the study indicates that even at 2000 mg/kg body weight, DFNM was non-toxic. It was also observed that there was a slight fluctuation in the level of antioxidant enzymes activity, lipid peroxidation, haematological and biochemical parameters but it was not significant. Hence, it can be concluded that the in-house synthesized DFNM was non-toxic and shows no lethal effects when orally exposed to rats.