An in vivo evaluation of acute toxicity of cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) nanoparticles in larval-embryo Zebrafish (Danio rerio).

The broad spectrum applications of CoFe2O4 NPs have attracted much interest in medicine, environment and industry, resulting in exceedingly higher exposures to humans and environmental systems in succeeding days. Their health effects and potential biological impacts need to be determined for risk assessment. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos were exposed to environmentally relevant doses of nano-CoFe2O4 (mean diameter of 40nm) with a concentration range of 10-500μM for 96h. Acute toxic end points were evaluated by survival rate, malformation, hatching delay, heart dysfunction and tail flexure of larvae. Dose and time dependent developmental toxicity with severe cardiac edema, down regulation of metabolism, hatching delay and tail/spinal cord flexure and apoptosis was observed. The biochemical changes were evaluated by ROS, Catalase (CAT), Lipid peroxidation (LPO), Acid phophatase (AP) and Glutatione s- transferase (GST). An Agglomeration of NPs and dissolution of ions induces severe mechanical damage to membranes and oxidative stress. Severe apoptosis of cells in the head, heart and tail region with inhibition of catalase confirms ROS induced acute toxicity with increasing concentration. Increased activity of GST and AP at lower concentrations of CoFe2O4 NPs demonstrates the severe oxidative stress. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra indicated the weak interactions of NPs with BSA and slight changes in α-helix structure. In addition, CoFe2O4 NPs at lower concentrations do not show any considerable interference with assay components and analytical instruments. The results are possible elucidation of pathways of toxicity induced by these particles, as well as contributing in defining the protocols for risk assessment of these nanoparticles.