Synthesis and characterization of palladium nanoparticles by chemical and green methods: A comparative study on hepatic toxicity using zebrafish as an animal model

Nanoparticles synthesized by chemical methods are of a matter of concern, whereas, the green methods are said to be eco-friendly and environmentally safe. In this study, the toxicity of palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs) synthesized through chemical co-precipitation and green route method using Annona squamosa seed kernels (As-Pd NPs) were evaluated using zebrafish as an animal model. The synthesized nanoparticles (NPs) were characterized using UV-Visible spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Zeta potential. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) were exposed to 0.4 ng/L of Pd NPs and As-Pd NPs for 96-h, further oxidative stress parameters and histological changes were evaluated. The superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) activity and the lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels were elevated in the Pd NPs groups. But in the As-Pd NPs group, the SOD activity showed a biphasic nature while the CAT activity gradually declined till the 96-h compared to the control and Pd NPs groups. The LPO levels in the As-Pd NPs groups showed a measurable increase till 72-h and sudden decline at the end of 96-h. Anomalies in the histological changes such as ruptured hepatocytes, sinusoidal congestion, vacuolation and accumulation of erythrocytes were observed in both the NPs treated groups but As-Pd NPs exhibited lesser lesions than the control and Pd NPs groups. However, our present study reveals the possible reliability of the nanoparticles and the mechanism of scavenging activity suggesting that the As-Pd NPs synthesized by green route are less toxic comparing to the chemically synthesized Pd NPs.