Evaluation of the toxicity profiles of three families of solvents from biomass: levulinate, lactate and furfural derivatives

Nowadays, the scientific community is looking for and developing new solvents, called green solvents, which, due to their physicochemical properties and their origin, can replace traditional solvents. Among the different types of these solvents are those derived from biomass, which seem to have properties suitable for Green Chemistry. In this study, a total of eleven solvents derived from biomass, divided into three families structurally related: levulinate, lactate and furfural, have been selected. For these solvents, the physicochemical and ecotoxicological properties have been previously studied; however, their toxicological profile is still poorly known. In this study, cytotoxicity is analyzed by exploring a wide range of biochemical pathways and changes in cell morphology, including different cell lines and an ex vivo model. Throughout the tests performed, it has been observed that most of the solvents in the furfural family have a higher toxicity profile than the rest of the solvents evaluated. In addition, many solvents, although not highly toxic, showed cellular morphological damage and stress responses that should be considered. Cytotoxicity stress biomarkers, acetylcholinesterase and intestinal toxicity response have been studied in eleven solvents from biomass. All solvents showed low toxicity, with the furfural family showing the highest toxicity of all studied solvents.