Assessment of the dose-dependent biochemical and cytotoxicity of zein-coated MgO nanowires in male and female albino rats

Introduction: Recently, zein-coated MgO nanowires were synthesized, which could be promising as an effective antimicrobial compounds that can be combined in the preparation of a diversity of new dental formulations. However, there is a deficiency of information concerning their toxicological profile regarding the human health. Objective: This in vivo study aimed to explore the hepato- and nephrotoxicity of low versus high doses of zein-coated MgO nanowires in rats. Materials and Methods: A 21-day recurrent dose toxicity research was carried out. Wistar rats were divided into 2 main groups, males and females (n = 18). Each group was further subdivided into 3 subgroups: control, MgO-zein nanowires low dose, MgO-zein nanowires high dose. The low dose used was 100 mg/kg while the high dose used was 200 mg/kg. Results: The results showed that MgO-zein nanowires at both doses did not affect the electrolytes levels compared to the control levels. Also, they did not produce any significant alteration in liver function markers in both rats' genders. MgO-zein nanowires at both doses did not produce any effective alteration in serum creatinine in treated rats of both genders. Moreover, very minimal histological alterations were observed in both doses of MgO-zein nanowires in liver and kidney of both genders. Conclusion: Based on the observed safety of zein-coated MgO nanowires, it can be utilized as an effective antimicrobial compound that can be combined in the preparation of a diversity of new dental formulations. KEY MESSAGES MgO NPs are globally used in multiple fields including the therapeutic field. Zein has wide pharmaceutical applications especially coating the tablet over sugar. There are no cytotoxic studies that investigate MgO-zein nanowires safety until now.