Cyto-toxicity of Silver Nanoparticles on A Bacterial Population Isolated From Lakewater

Abstract

Due to the increased industrial and consumer applications, there is growing concern regarding the possible risk associated with their environmental exposure. Silver nanoparticles are considered to be toxic both to environment and human beings after a permissible limit.  The aim of the present study was to explore the difference in toxicity mechanism of Silver nanoparticles (NPs) at low concentrations (≤1 μg/mL), in a lake-water bacterial consortia containing Bacillus marisflavi and Bacillus thuringenesis. The cytotoxicity of the NPs was studied by performing several biochemical assays for the assessment of membrane permeability, cell viability, oxidative stress and secretion of exo-polysaccharides. It was found that there was generation of ROS when the silver nanoparticles interacted with the bacteria, which may have resulted in the decrease in cell viability.

Keywords: Silver NPs- silver nanoparticles, cytotoxicity, ROS, oxidative stress