Preparação e Avaliação de Fitotoxicidade de Nanopartículas de Acetato de Celulose

Abstract

The use of biocompatible and low-cost polymers to produce non-toxic nanoparticles for delivery systems is a promising alternative for biotechnological applications. In this context, there is a scarcity of investigations focused on the production of low-cost polymeric nanoparticles with non-toxic properties. Among the diversity of polymers that can be used to produce low-cost nanoparticles, cellulose acetate stands out as a potential application, a natural biopolymer with biocompatible and biodegradable properties that has already been widely used as fibers, membranes, and films in various biotechnological applications. In this work, a simple and low-cost route is provided to produce cellulose acetate nanoparticles (CA-NPs) by the emulsification evaporation of the solvent technique, which produces nanoparticles with an average diameter of 200nm and a spherical and smooth morphology for potential use as a nanocarrier in agricultural applications. The non-phytotoxic properties of the produced cellulose acetate nanoparticles were demonstrated by conducting a plant toxicity test using the Allium cepa assay. Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity tests allowed the evaluation of the mitotic process, chromosomal abnormalities, root growth inhibition/delay, and micronuclei induction. In summary, the results showed that CA-NPs did not induce phytotoxic, cytotoxic, or genotoxic effects and did not promote alterations in root elongation, germination, or mitotic index, chromosomal aberration, and micronucleus. Consequently, the present results indicated that CA-NPs can be potentially used as environmentally friendly nanoparticles.