DNA Damage and Apoptosis as In-Vitro Effect Biomarkers of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles (TiO 2 -NPs) and the Food Additive E171 Toxicity in Colon Cancer Cells: HCT-116 and Caco-2

Margherita Ferrante, Alfina Grasso, Rossella Salemi, Massimo Libra, Barbara Tomasello, Maria Fiore and Chiara Copat ()
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Margherita Ferrante: Department of Medical, Surgical and Advanced Technologies “G.F. Ingrassia”, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 87, 95123 Catania, Italy
Alfina Grasso: Department of Medical, Surgical and Advanced Technologies “G.F. Ingrassia”, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 87, 95123 Catania, Italy
Rossella Salemi: Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 83, 95123 Catania, Italy
Massimo Libra: Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 83, 95123 Catania, Italy
Barbara Tomasello: Section of Biochemistry, Department of Drug Science, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy
Maria Fiore: Department of Medical, Surgical and Advanced Technologies “G.F. Ingrassia”, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 87, 95123 Catania, Italy
Chiara Copat: Department of Medical, Surgical and Advanced Technologies “G.F. Ingrassia”, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 87, 95123 Catania, Italy

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 3, 1-14

Abstract: This study investigated the DNA damage and apoptosis in colon cancer cells HCT-116 and Caco-2 induced by engineered titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO 2 -NPs) (60 nm) and titanium dioxide food additive E171. MTT assays showed that both chemical forms significantly reduced cancer cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. In particular the food additive E171 induced a pronounced inhibitory effect on the growth of HCT-116 and Caco-2 cell lines (E171 IC50: 3.45 mg/L for HTC-116 and 1.88 mg/L Caco-2; TiO 2 -NPs 60 nm IC50: 41.1 mg/L for HTC-116 and 14.3 mg/L for Caco-2). A low level of genotoxicity was observed in Caco-2 cells, especially when treated with TiO 2 60 nm. Western blot analysis showed that HCT116 and Caco-2 treated cells did not overexpress apoptotic markers such as cleaved Caspase 3 and cleaved Parp. Moreover, further analysis by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) showed that TiO 2 -NPs and E171 did not promote the expression of Bax or downregulation of Bcl-2, nor did they increase the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. The assay data provide clear evidence that TiO 2 can cause DNA damage but does not induce apoptosis or decrease long-term cell proliferation. In addition, the results show that E171 has a slightly higher level of cytotoxicity and genotoxicity. This suggests that exposure to E171 may be hazardous to health and that further research on biological effects is needed to promote safer practices in the use of this compound.

Keywords: TiO 2; E171; metallic nanoparticles; HCT-116; Caco-2; apoptosis; genotoxicity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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