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Silver Oxide Nanoparticles: A Promising Material with Melanin Modulatory Properties Validated in Drosophila

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Abstract

Silver oxide nanoparticles (Ag2O NPs) find enormous applications in electronics, industry, biomedical, pharmaceutical field, etc. In the present study, we have focused on yet unrevealed property of these nanoparticles to exert melanin modulatory effects in Drosophila. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are known for its toxicity and alteration in body pigmentation by various mechanisms such as by binding with precursor amines (tyrosine, dopa) and by making phenol oxidase (PO) non-functional when applied in high concentration. This raises a concern whether its oxide will have the same biological effects as that of the original metallic form or not. To address this, the impact of Ag2O NPs on Drosophila was studied focusing on its melanizing modulatory potential. The present study highlights the quasi-reversal of depigmentation when silver is present in its oxide form. Surprisingly, when silver is in its oxide form, it interacts unusually with the components of the melanization pathway producing an altered phenotype. As revealed in the present study, phenol oxidase activity and circulating levels of tyrosine (which are targeted by elemental silver) were found to be unaffected upon treatment with Ag2O NPs. FTIR studies revealed the minimal interaction of silver oxide with tyrosine due to which it was available for further reactions of melanin production and restored the full enzymatic activity of phenol oxidase. However, dopa which is another target for elemental silver was found to be interacting strongly with Ag2O NPs, and hence, it was not available for melanization. The availability of one amine (tyrosine) but the unavailability of the second (dopa) led to partial de-melanization in flies. Such unusual interplay of an oxide form of silver with the melanization pathway inducing reversal of completely de-pigmented phenotype to partially de-pigmented phenotype has not been reported earlier. Considering the multifarious role of melanin in the fitness and survival of insects in particular, the implication of Ag2O as a melanin modulator is vindicated.

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Data Availability

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this article.

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Acknowledgements

KAP acknowledges the support received from the BCUD-SPPU grant. BBN acknowledges infrastructural support received from the Department of Zoology, SPPU, as Emeritus professor. KAP acknowledges infrastructural support received from the Department of Zoology, Nowrosjee Wadia College (NWC), Pune. Initial help by Ms. Merle Rodrigues, M. Sc. student at NWC during standardization and dosimetry experiments is thankfully acknowledged by KAP.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, Modern Education Society’s Nowrosjee Wadia College, Pune, 411001, India

    Kanchan A. Phatak

  2. Department of Applied Chemistry, Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT), Girinagar, Pune, 411025, India

    Pawan Kumar Khanna

  3. Department of Zoology, Stress Biology Research Laboratory, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, 411007, India

    Bimalendu B. Nath

  4. MIE-SPPU Institute of Higher Education, Doha, Qatar

    Bimalendu B. Nath

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  1. Kanchan A. Phatak
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Contributions

Conceptualization and methodology were designed by BBN, KAP, and PKK. Investigation was carried out by KAP. Data validation was carried out by BBN, PKK, and KAP. Writing of the original draft was done by KAP. Review and editing were done by BBN and PKK. All the authors approved the final version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Bimalendu B. Nath.

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Phatak, K.A., Khanna, P.K. & Nath, B.B. Silver Oxide Nanoparticles: A Promising Material with Melanin Modulatory Properties Validated in Drosophila. BioNanoSci. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12668-024-01518-6

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