Concentration- and Time-Dependent Cytotoxicity of Silver Nanoparticles on Normal Human Skin Fibroblast Cell Line

A wide use of Silver Nanoparticles (AgNPs) in consumer products, industry, pharmaceuticals, and medical sciences, including dermatology, has always caused concerns related to its adverse effects on the environment and human safety. Nano-sized particles can be uptaken by the body through various routes, especially the skin, which is the widest organ and the first contact surface for different nanomaterials and other foreign agents.

The aim of this investigation was to assess the viability of a vulnerable normal skin cell line to cytotoxicity of AgNPs with the same effective size and concentrations used for various microbial agents, such as Candida species.

Synthesized AgNPs were characterized using UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Different concentrations of the aqueous colloidal AgNPs (2.17 to 69.5 µg/mL) were tested on normal Human Skin Fibroblast (HSF) cell line using MTT assay after 24 and 48 hours of exposure.

The analysis demonstrated that the synthesized AgNPs were mainly spherical with an average size of 6.03 nm. The MTT findings showed a significant concentration- and time-dependent manner in the reduction of cell viability. The calculated IC50 values were 30.64 and 14.98 µg/mL for 24 and 48 hours of incubation, respectively.

The cytotoxic effect of AgNPs was higher for Human Skin Fibroblast cells after 48 hours of exposure compared with 24 hours. According to the observed results, small nano-sized silver particles could potentially have cytotoxic effects on normal cells, especially at high concentrations and prolonged exposure times