CYTOTOXIC EFFECT OF LYCOPENE INCORPORATED CHITOSAN NANOPARTICLES USING BRINE SHRIMP LETHALITY ASSAY

Background: There has been a rise in periodontal disease over the past few years, which can be attributed to various reasons. However, the treatment modality remains the same, which is to find the cause of the disease and to eliminate the cause to bring about a healthy microenvironment within the oral cavity to heal itself to its maximum capacity. The use of nanotechnology in various fields of dentistry has become increasingly popular.

Aim: The study aims at assessing the cytotoxic effect of lycopene incorporated chitosan nanoparticles using brine shrimp lethality assay.

Materials and Methods: The study involved the assessment of varying concentrations of lycopene incorporated chitosan nanoparticles ranging from 5 (μl - microlitre) to 50 μland its potential as an emerging dental nanomedicine. In order to test its cytotoxicity a primary level animal testing on brine shrimps was conducted using the standard brine shrimp lethality assay (BSLA) method.

Results: The study reveals that the cytotoxicity levels (calculated in relation to the mortality rates of the BSLA) are directly proportional to the concentration of the nanoparticle used. It was noted that lycopene has comparatively low cytotoxic levels in all concentrations except 50 μl, chitosan has a high cytotoxic level at greater than 5 μl and the nanoparticle compound also shows a high cytotoxicity at 5 μl. Another finding from the study is that the individual components of the nanoparticles showed much less toxicity when compared to the compound particle.

Conclusion: The study revealed that the nanoparticle compound exhibits minimal toxicity at concentrations below 5 microL, however at higher concentrations there is significant toxicity of the nanoparticle. This gives an insight into safe dose calculations for the drug. Further research is necessary to ensure its safety and clinical applications.