Exposure of calcium carbide induces apoptosis in mammalian fibroblast L929 cells.

Inspite of various health warnings from Government and health organizations, Calcium carbide (CaC) is still the most commonly and widely used artificial fruit ripener, probably due to its easy availability, low cost and convenience of usage. Assessment of the hazardous effects of the CaC applications for fruit ripening has been a matter of interest since long. Several studies have reported the toxicological outcomes such as histopathological changes in lungs and kidneys, haematological and immunological responses, upon exposure with CaC. However, a well-controlled study investigating the effects of CaC under setup was lacking. Hence, this study has been conducted to explore the toxicity associated cellular events in L929 cells exposed with varying concentrations of CaC (0.00312-0.2 μg/μl) for 24 h exposure time. A 23.14% reduction in cell viability was observed at the highest dose of CaC. A similar trend in cellular stress levels at 0.2 μg/μl dose was observed in terms of rounded cellular morphology and decreased adherence as compared to the control. Furthermore, Annexin V FITC/PI staining and subsequent confocal imaging revealed a similar trend of CaC induced apoptosis in a dose dependent manner. A gradual elevation of intracellular ROS has also been observed up to 0.025 μg/μl dose. Thus, the study concludes that short term CaC exposure may increase the cellular oxidative stress and disturb the redox balance of the cell which then undergoes apoptosis. The study concludes that the exposure of CaC can be associated with severe diseases and suggests to stop the uses of CaC as fruit ripening agent.