Indian Journal of Animal Research
SCOPUSWeb of Science
  • Year: 2026
  • Volume: 59
  • Issue: SPL

Brine Shrimp Lethality Assay for in vitro Toxicity Assessment of Eco-friendly Synthesized ZnO Nanoparticles

  • Author:
  • Prathisha Rajamani1*, Chrisolite Bagthasingh1, Vigneshwaran Baskaran2, V. Rani3, Rajendran Shalini4, Evangelin Paripoorana David1
  • Total Page Count: 4
  • Page Number: 126 to 129

1Department of Fish Pathology and Health Management, Fisheries College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Fisheries University, Thoothukudi-628 008, Tamil Nadu, India.

2Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai-600 119, Tamil Nadu, India.

3Dr. M. G. R. Fisheries College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Fisheries University, Thalainayeru-614 712, Tamil Nadu, India.

4Department of Fish Quality Assurance and Management, Fisheries College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Fisheries University, Thoothukudi-628 008, Tamil Nadu, India.

*Corresponding Author: Prathisha Rajamani, Chrisolite Bagthasingh, Department of Fish Pathology and Health Management, Fisheries College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Fisheries University, Thoothukudi-628 008, Tamil Nadu, India. Email: prathisha0309@gmail.com; chrisolite@tnfu.ac.in

Abstract

Zinc is an essential micronutrient as well as an effective antimicrobial agent, widely used in fish health management. Due to its relatively non-toxic nature, zinc is also employed in the green synthesis of nanoparticles. However, concerns remain regarding its potential toxicity, particularly in aquaculture and fish health applications.

Pomegranate peel-mediated ZnO nanoparticles (PP-ZnO NPs) were synthesized via a green route. The nanoparticles were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to determine particle morphology and size, dynamic light scattering (DLS) to assess hydrodynamic size distribution and polydispersity index (PDI) and zeta potential analysis to evaluate surface charge and colloidal stability. In vitro toxicity was assessed using the brine shrimp lethality assay (BSLA) to determine the effect of PP-ZnO NPs on shrimp survival.

TEM analysis revealed that the PP-ZnO NPs possessed a hexagonal wurtzite structure with an average size of 54±8 nm. DLS analysis showed that the nanoparticles were moderately monodispersed, with a PDI of 0.345, indicating slight agglomeration. Zeta potential measurements confirmed a negative surface charge (-41.5 mV), suggesting good colloidal stability. BSLA demonstrated that the PP-ZnO NPs were non-toxic to brine shrimp, indicating their biocompatibility and safety for potential applications.

Keywords

Brine shrimp, Lethality assay, Nanoparticles, Pomegranate peel, Zinc oxide