Nano-Zinc Iron Oxide Elicits Oxidative Stress-Driven Midgut Damage and Developmental Suppression in Bombyx mori.
- 1Industrial Crops Institute, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430064, China.
- 2College of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China.
Abstract
The silkworm, Bombyx mori, a key economic insect, has been employed as a model organism to investigate the toxicological effects and underlying mechanisms of zinc iron oxide nanoparticle exposure on its growth and development, midgut tissue structure, and physiological functions. Exposure to zinc iron oxide inhibited larval growth and development, which was accompanied by pathological alterations in the midgut, including a reduction in columnar cells, vacuolation, chromatin condensation, microvilli shedding, and disrupted tight junctions, which directly impaired the intestinal barrier integrity and nutrient absorption. Furthermore, zinc iron oxide exposure resulted in elevated reactive oxygen species levels, decreased superoxide dismutase and glutathione contents, and increased catalase activity, indicating the activation of oxidative stress. This stress-induced mitochondrial response, characterized by the observation of autophagic vesicles, suggests the potential mitophagy of activation in action to zinc iron oxide exposure, thereby preserving cellular homeostasis. This was also associated with the downregulation of most genes involved in purine metabolism, the peroxisome, the biosynthesis of amino acids, the ribosome pathway, and carbon metabolism pathways, leading to reduced protein synthesis and energy supply, ultimately resulting in larval developmental retardation. This study elucidates the intestinal-targeted toxicity of zinc iron oxide nanoparticles in lepidopteran insects, providing direct in vivo experimental evidence for evaluating the ecological risk of zinc iron oxide in sericulture environments. Furthermore, it offers a novel research avenue for developing intestinal intervention strategies aimed at mitigating the toxic effects of nanomaterials and ensuring the stability of economically important traits in silkworms.
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BibTeX
@article{he2026nanozinc,
title = {{Nano-Zinc Iron Oxide Elicits Oxidative Stress-Driven Midgut Damage and Developmental Suppression in Bombyx mori.}},
author = {Zhen He and Jiaying Lin and Bing Chen and Liang Huang and Cui Yu and Hui Ai and Fan Wu},
journal = {Biology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/biology15191731},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42883404},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Nano-Zinc Iron Oxide Elicits Oxidative Stress-Driven Midgut Damage and Developmental Suppression in Bombyx mori.
AU - Zhen He
AU - Jiaying Lin
AU - Bing Chen
AU - Liang Huang
AU - Cui Yu
AU - Hui Ai
AU - Fan Wu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Biology
DO - 10.3390/biology15191731
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42883404
AB - The silkworm, Bombyx mori, a key economic insect, has been employed as a model organism to investigate the toxicological effects and underlying mechanisms of zinc iron oxide nanoparticle exposure on its growth and development, midgut tissue structure, and physiological functions. Exposure to zinc iron oxide inhibited larval growth and development, which was accompanied by pathological alterations in the midgut, including a reduction in columnar cells, vacuolation, chromatin condensation, microvilli shedding, and disrupted tight junctions, which directly impaired the intestinal barrier integrity and nutrient absorption. Furthermore, zinc iron oxide exposure resulted in elevated reactive oxygen species levels, decreased superoxide dismutase and glutathione contents, and increased catalase activity, indicating the activation of oxidative stress. This stress-induced mitochondrial response, characterized by the observation of autophagic vesicles, suggests the potential mitophagy of activation in action to zinc iron oxide exposure, thereby preserving cellular homeostasis. This was also associated with the downregulation of most genes involved in purine metabolism, the peroxisome, the biosynthesis of amino acids, the ribosome pathway, and carbon metabolism pathways, leading to reduced protein synthesis and energy supply, ultimately resulting in larval developmental retardation. This study elucidates the intestinal-targeted toxicity of zinc iron oxide nanoparticles in lepidopteran insects, providing direct in vivo experimental evidence for evaluating the ecological risk of zinc iron oxide in sericulture environments. Furthermore, it offers a novel research avenue for developing intestinal intervention strategies aimed at mitigating the toxic effects of nanomaterials and ensuring the stability of economically important traits in silkworms.
SN - 2079-7737
ER -