Tungsten oxide nanoparticles or nanopowder (WO3NPs) is commonly used in various industries and also in biomedical applications such as additives, pigments, and biomedical sensors. Non-judicious excessive use of these nanoparticles (NPs) could be a serious human health concern. Therefore, the current study aimed to explore the cytotoxic and genotoxic assessment of WO3NPs through Allium cepa anaphase-telophase and comet assays. Nanoparticles were characterized through the scanning and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), zetasizer, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The mean size and the average diameter of WO3NPs were determined as 21.57 ± 2.48 nm and 349.42 ± 80.65 nm using TEM and a Zetasizer measurement system, respectively. Five concentrations (12.5 mg/L, 25 mg/L, 50 mg/L, 75 mg/L, and 100 mg/L) of WO3NPs were employed on the Allium cepa (A. cepa) roots for 4 h. Significant (p ≤ 0.05) decrease in mitotic index (MI) was shown by WO3NPs at all concentrations. The increase of chromosomal aberrations (CAs) was also observed in a concentration-dependent manner due to the WO3NPs exposure. There was a significant increase (p ≤ 0.05) in DNA damage at all concentrations of WO3NPs on the A. cepa cells. It was concluded that WO3NPs had cytotoxic and genotoxic effects on A. cepa meristematic cells. Moreover, further cytogenetic effects of WO3NPs should be investigated at the molecular level to assess its safety margin.
Keywords: Chromosomal aberrations; Genotoxicity; Mitotic index; Nanoparticles; Tungsten.