Characterization and cellular internalization of spherical cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) into normal and cancerous fibroblasts

• Main Authors: Shazali, Nur Aima Hafiza, Zaidi, Noorzaileen Eileena, Ariffin, Hidayah, Abdullah, Luqman Chuah, Ghaemi, Ferial, Abdullah, Jafri Malin, Takashima, Ichiro, Nik Abd Rahman, Nik Mohd Afizan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI 2019
• Online Access: http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/38245/1/38245.pdf; http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/38245/; https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/12/19/3251
• Institution: Universiti Putra Malaysia

The aim was to isolate cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) from commercialized oil palm empty fruit bunch cellulose nanofibre (CNF) through sulphuric acid hydrolysis and explore its safeness as a potential nanocarrier. Successful extraction of CNC was confirmed through a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and attenuated total reflection Fourier transmission infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectrometry analysis. For subsequent cellular uptake study, the spherical CNC was covalently tagged with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC), resulting in negative charged FITC-CNC nanospheres with a dispersity (Ð) of 0.371. MTT assay revealed low degree cytotoxicity for both CNC and FITC-CNC against C6 rat glioma and NIH3T3 normal fibroblasts up to 50 µg/mL. FITC conjugation had no contribution to the particle’s toxicity. Through confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM), synthesized FITC-CNC manifested negligible cellular accumulation, indicating a poor non-selective adsorptive endocytosis into studied cells. Overall, an untargeted CNC-based nanosphere with less cytotoxicity that posed poor selectivity against normal and cancerous cells was successfully synthesized. It can be considered safe and suitable to be developed into targeted nanocarrier.