Neutralization of Naja naja venom by green and chemically synthesized titanium dioxide nanoparticles

Abstract Snake envenomation affects millions of people worldwide especially rural population in developing countries. High production cost, poor accessibility and side-effects associated with antivenom treatment call for newer approaches. Nanoparticles could provide alternative therapy due to their biocompatibility, ease of production and stability. In this study, Titanium (IV) isopropoxide was reduced to make TiO 2 nanoparticles by chemical and green synthesis method utilizing potato peels and neem leaves extract. The synthesized particles were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscope, Electron Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. The synthesized nanoparticles are spherical in shape with sizes ranging from 41–64 nm and molecules, such as polyphenols, flavonoids, and alkaloids in plant extracts act as reducing and capping agents. The nanoparticles were evaluated for in vitro venom neutralization assays against the Naja naja venom. The hemocompatibility assay showed that the TiO 2 NPs are non-toxic, indicating their safe use. The TiO 2 NPs were able to significantly inhibit venom induced hemolysis of RBCs and blood anticoagulation effect ( p -values ≤0.000). Overall, the study suggests that TiO 2 NPs could be effective in reducing the toxicity of Naja naja venom, providing a practical and cost-effective therapeutic option to be used as alternative treatments for snake envenomation.