Nickel oxide nanoparticles induce genotoxicity and cellular alterations in the ground beetle Blaps polycresta (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

Fabrication of biosynthesized nickel ferrites nanoparticles and evaluation of their insecticidal efficacy on beetles (Blaps polychresta) testicular integrity

Green synthesis of nanoparticles has emerged as a significant strategy to develop effective and eco-friendly insecticide agents to combat insecticide resistance and preserve environmental integrity and biodiversity. This study was thus designed to fabricate novel green synthesized NiFe2O4 nanoparticles (NiFe NPs) and investigate their potential insecticidal effects for the first time using Blaps polychresta beetle as an agricultural coleopteran pest model. Therefore, we prepared NiFe NPs following the hydrothermal synthesis procedure in the presence of lemon juice. The physiochemical characteristics of NiFe NPs were investigated employing SEM, TEM, FT-IR, XRD, TGA, VSM, and UV-Vis analysis. The lowest and most effective dose of NiFe NPs against male beetles was ascertained at a concentration of 0.03 mg/g body weight, reporting 67% mortality after 48 h. To study the insecticidal impact of NiFe NPs, EDX analysis demonstrated the bioaccumulation of NiFe NPs in testicular tissues of beetles, leading to pathophysiological consequences. Precisely, the oxidative stress incited by NiFe NPs led to disturbance of the antioxidant defense system, which was defined by augmentation of lipid peroxidation and suppression of antioxidant enzymes. Furthermore, the comet assay exhibited remarkable DNA impairment, while flow cytometry analysis showed substantial cellular necrosis and apoptosis in NiFe NPs-treated beetles compared to control insects. In correlation with these findings, several aberrations in the histological and ultrastructure attributes of testicular tissues were perceived, including impaired follicular and cyst walls, deteriorated parietal cells, necrosis, and vacuolations. These results implied that NiFe NPs triggered oxidative injury in the testes, resulting in male reproductive system dysfunction. Altogether, our findings accentuate the potential application of NiFe NPs as nanopesticides, paving the way for the sustainable and cost-effective management of insect pests in agriculture.

Assessment of the effects of cadmium, samarium and gadolinium on the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis): A biochemical, transcriptomic and metabolomic approach

Improving the understanding of how chemicals affect on organisms and assessing the associated environmental risks is of major interest in environmental studies. This can be achieved by using complementary approaches based on the study of the molecular responses of organisms. Because of the known chemical pressures on the environment, regulations on the content of some chemicals, such as cadmium, have been mostly completed. In contrast, the environmental toxicity of rare earth elements (REEs), which are widely used in industry, has only recently begun to receive attention. Here, we investigated the effects of cadmium, and two REEs, samarium and gadolinium, on marine mussels under laboratory exposures. We found that after an 8-day exposure at 500 µg/L, the metals were bioaccumulated by the mussels. Furthermore, samarium and gadolinium affected two oxidative stress biomarkers, GST and SOD. Lipidomic analysis showed that lipid content was modulated by the REEs, but not by cadmium. Interestingly, several compounds belonging to the phosphoinositide metabolism were more abundant, suggesting a pro-mitotic or cell survival response, while a higher abundance of cardiolipins after samarium exposure suggested an alteration of mitochondrial activity. Moreover, depending on the tissue and the metal considered, transcriptional analyses revealed an effect on metallothionein, hsp70/90, energy metabolism enzymes, as well as pro-mitotic transcript accumulation. Thus, this study sheds a new light on metal toxicity and in particularl REEs by highlighting the accumulation and toxicity of cadmium, samarium and gadolinium at 500 µg/L at different molecular levels, from gene expression to the lipidome of blue mussels.

Assessing the toxicity of green Agaricus bisporus-based Cadmium Sulfide nanoparticles on Musca domestica as a biological model

The common housefly, Musca domestica, known for transmitting over 100 infections, was studied using green-synthesized Cadmium Sulfide nanoparticles (CdS NPs) from Agaricus bisporus. These CdS NPs were tested on third-instar larvae under laboratory conditions using dipping and feeding methods with concentrations (75, 100, 125, 150, 175, and 200 µg/mL). The toxicity, measured by LC50, was found to be 138 µg/mL for dipping treatment and 123 µg/mL for feeding treatment. Analysis with an energy-dispersive X-ray microanalyzer confirmed Cd accumulation in the larval midgut, indicating penetration of CdS NPs into the organism, which may potentially increase their toxicity. CdS NPs caused disruptions in Heat Shock Protein 70, cell apoptosis, and various biochemical components. Scanning electron microscopy revealed morphological abnormalities in larvae, pupae, and adults exposed to CdS NPs. Ultrastructural examination showed significant midgut tissue abnormalities in larvae treated with 123 µg/mL of CdS NPs. Our study demonstrated that green-synthesized CdS NPs from A. bisporus can effectively control the development of M. domestica larvae.

Nanoparticles-mediated entomotoxicology: lessons from biologica

Nanotechnology has grown in importance in medicine, manufacturing, and consumer products. Nanoparticles (NPs) are also widely used in the field of insect pest management, where they show a variety of toxicological effects on insects. As a result, the primary goal of this review is to compile and evaluate available information on effects of NPs on insects, by use of a timely, bibliometric analysis. We also discussed the manufacturing capacity of NPs from insect tissues and the toxic effects of NPs on insects. To do so, we searched the Web of Science database for literature from 1995 to 2023 and ran bibliometric analyses with CiteSpace© and Bibliometrix©. The analyses covered 614 journals and identified 1763 relevant documents. We found that accumulation of NPs was one of the top trending topics. China, India, and USA had the most published papers. The most overall reported models of insects were those of Aedes aegypti (yellow fever mosquito), Culex quinquefasciatus (southern house mosquito), Bombyx mori (silk moth), and Anopheles stephensi (Asian malaria mosquito). The application and methods of fabrication of NPs using insect tissues, as well as the mechanism of toxicity of NPs on insects, were also reported. A uniform legal framework is required to allow nanotechnology to fully realize its potential while minimizing harm to living organisms and reducing the release of toxic metalloid nanoparticles into the environment.

Entomotherapeutic Role of Periplaneta americana Extract in Alleviating Aluminum Oxide Nanoparticles-Induced Testicular Oxidative Impairment in Migratory Locusts (Locusta migratoria) as an Ecotoxicological Model

In this study, we shed light for the first time on the usage of migratory locusts (Locusta migratoria) as an insect model to investigate the nanotoxicological influence of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) nanoparticles at low doses on testes, and evaluate the capacity of a whole-body extract of American cockroaches (Periplaneta americana) (PAE) to attenuate Al2O3 NPs-induced toxicity. Energy dispersive X-ray microanalyzer (EDX) analysis verified the bioaccumulation of Al in testicular tissues due to its liberation from Al2O3 NPs, implying their penetration into the blood-testis barrier. Remarkably, toxicity with Al engendered disorders of antioxidant and stress biomarkers associated with substantial DNA damage and cell apoptosis. Furthermore, histopathological and ultrastructural analyses manifested significant aberrations in the testicular tissues from the group exposed to Al2O3 NPs, indicating the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Molecular docking analysis emphasized the antioxidant capacity of some compounds derived from PAE. Thus, pretreatment with PAE counteracted the detrimental effects of Al in the testes, revealing antioxidant properties and thwarting DNA impairment and cell apoptosis. Moreover, histological and ultrastructural examinations revealed no anomalies in the testes. Overall, these findings substantiate the potential applications of PAE in preventing the testicular impairment of L. migratoria and the conceivable utilization of locusts for nanotoxicology studies.