Abstract Halloysite and montmorillonite nanoclays have a wide range of industrial and medical applications, including food packaging. To ensure safe incorporation of these clays into nanocomposites, toxicological screening must be performed. In this study, the acute toxicity of three nanoclays, namely halloysite, bentonite and montmorillonite modified with octadecylamine (Mt-ODA), was evaluated using the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as in vivo model. Nanoclays were tested pure and adsorbed with nisin, an important antimicrobial peptide used as food preservative. Lethal concentration 50% (LC50), nematode development, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, quantification of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymes, and lipid peroxidation were the toxicological endpoints evaluated in C elegans. Halloysite and Mt-ODA had the lowest and highest LD50, respectively. The adsoption of nisin on halloysite and bentonite provoked an increase in surviving nematodes. All treatments altered the normal growth, in different degrees, being nematodes exposed to bentonite the most affected. ROS production increased in all treatments, especially Mt-ODA, where lipid peroxidation was enhanced, suggesting high oxidative stress.

中文翻译：

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抗菌肽乳酸链球菌素吸附纳米粘土对秀丽隐杆线虫的毒理学研究

摘要埃洛石和蒙脱石纳米粘土具有广泛的工业和医疗应用，包括食品包装。为了确保将这些粘土安全地掺入纳米复合材料中，必须进行毒理学筛选。在这项研究中，使用自由生活的线虫秀丽隐杆线虫作为体内模型评估了三种纳米粘土，即埃洛石、膨润土和十八胺改性蒙脱石 (Mt-ODA) 的急性毒性。纳米粘土经过纯测试并被乳酸链球菌肽吸附，乳酸链球菌肽是一种重要的用作食品防腐剂的抗菌肽。致死浓度 50% (LC50)、线虫发育、活性氧 (ROS) 产生、过氧化氢酶 (CAT) 和超氧化物歧化酶 (SOD) 酶的量化以及脂质过氧化是在线虫中评估的毒理学终点。埃洛石和 Mt-ODA 分别具有最低和最高的 LD50。乳链菌肽在埃洛石和膨润土上的吸附引起了存活线虫的增加。所有处理都不同程度地改变了正常生长，暴露于膨润土的线虫受影响最大。所有处理中 ROS 的产生均增加，尤其是 Mt-ODA，其中脂质过氧化增强，表明存在高氧化应激。