Research Progress on the Toxicity of Nanoparticles in Organisms

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Biology and Medicines".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 884

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Physiology, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 1–3 Clinicilor Street, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Interests: in vitro cell cultures; citotoxicity; natural and synthetic compounds; nanomaterials
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is a continuation of a previously successful Special Issue, entitled “Advances in Toxicity of Nanoparticles in Organisms”, and is hosted by the same Guest Editor.

The present issue welcomes authors and potential contributors to submit original articles or review papers dedicated to recent fundamental and applicative research into biocompatibility testing of nanomaterials. We are particularly interested in efforts to investigate the impact of nanoparticles on different biological experimental settings in vitro and in vivo, including toxicity aspects; the possibility of the modulation of toxicity through “green synthesis”; or the design of complex nanoplatforms suitable for biomedical applications.

This Special Issue will cover topics that include, but are not limited to, the following: development of biologically active nanostructured compounds from natural or synthetic sources, green synthesis, metallic nanoparticles, nano-alloys, graphene, nanotubes, composite nanomaterials, cytotoxicity, systemic toxicity, the role of nanoparticles in biological processes, nanoplatforms in theranostic approaches, and applications of nanomaterials in medicine.

Dr. Ioana Bâldea
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • nanoparticles
  • systemic toxicity
  • cytotoxicity
  • biomedical application of nanomaterials
  • theranostics

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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25 pages, 8719 KB  
Article
Green-Synthesized Rutin-Capped Gold Nanoparticles Attenuate Experimental Liver Fibrosis by Targeting Oxidative Stress and TGF-β Signaling
by Roxana Maria Decea, Ioana Baldea, Gabriela Adriana Filip, Luminita David, Bianca Moldovan, Vlad Toma, Claudia-Andreea Moldoveanu, Mara Muntean and Simona Valeria Clichici
Nanomaterials 2026, 16(6), 379; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano16060379 - 22 Mar 2026
Viewed by 582
Abstract
Liver fibrosis is driven by persistent oxidative stress and inflammatory signaling, with transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) acting as a key profibrotic mediator. Rutin (Ru) is a plant-derived flavonoid with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, but its low bioavailability limits therapeutic efficacy. This study investigated [...] Read more.
Liver fibrosis is driven by persistent oxidative stress and inflammatory signaling, with transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) acting as a key profibrotic mediator. Rutin (Ru) is a plant-derived flavonoid with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, but its low bioavailability limits therapeutic efficacy. This study investigated whether rutin-phytoreduced gold nanoparticles (RuAuNPs) enhanced rutin delivery leading to antifibrotic and anti-inflammatory effects in a rat model of liver fibrosis. Liver fibrosis was induced by oral administration of thioacetamide (TAA, 150 mg/kg body weight, p.o.) for six weeks. Following fibrosis induction, the animals were treated with free rutin (30 mg/kg body weight), RuAuNPs (0.3 mg/kg body weight), or AuNPs (0.3 mg/kg body weight), both expressed as nanoparticle mass, all administered orally for four weeks. RuAuNPs were synthesized by green rutin-mediated reduction and further characterized by TEM, DLS, and FTIR spectroscopy; they were spherical, showing an average hydrodynamic size of 104.1 nm (PDI 0.345). FTIR confirmed rutin capping. Biological effects were evaluated by liver morphology (H&E histology, TEM), biochemical assessment of liver aminotransferases and glico-lipidic status, ELISA and spectrophotometry measurement of redox biomarkers (lipid peroxidation, glutathione status, antioxidant enzymes), cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6), and TGF-β. TAA-induced hepatic injury and remodeling with increased profibrotic signaling, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Free rutin slightly ameliorated the liver damage, whereas RuAuNP improved histological features, reduced TGF-β and pro-inflammatory cytokines, decreased lipid peroxidation, and supported antioxidant defenses. Overall, RuAuNP may enhance rutin efficacy in TAA-induced liver fibrosis, with novelty stemming from the integrated in vivo evaluation of tissue changes and key profibrotic/oxidative/inflammatory pathway. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Progress on the Toxicity of Nanoparticles in Organisms)
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