Genotoxicity of Cobalt Oxide Nanoparticle in Rat Bone Marrow Single Cell Gel Electrophoresis-Micronucleus Test

Nanoparticles can be synthesized in different shapes and used in different fields of industry due to their physicochemical properties. The adult male Wistar rats were exposed to CoONPs (≤50 nm nanopowder) through gavage administration at 1, 5, 10 and 50 mg/kg body weight every day for 28 days. In this study genotoxicity was tested by using the single cell gel electrophoresis (COMET) assay and micronucleus (MN) test systems in rat bone marrow. CoOnp treatment significantly induced the frequency of micronucleus and DNA damage (p<0.05). The decrease in ratio of polychromatic erythrocytes to normochromatic erythrocytes is significant (p<0.05). These findings have important implications for understanding the potential health effects of CoOnp exposure.