In vitro cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of composite mixtures of natural rubber and leather residues used for textile applications

A novel composite material has been developed from natural rubber and leather waste, and a corresponding patent has been filed. This new material may be incorporated into textile and footwear products. However, as leather waste contains chromium, the biocompatibility of this new material and its safety for use in humans must be investigated. The aim of the present study was to investigate the presence of chromium in this new material, determine the amount of each form of chromium present (trivalent or hexavalent), and evaluate the potential cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of the novel composite in two cell lines. The cellular viability was quantified using the MTT3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide reduction method and neutral red uptake assay, and genotoxic damage was analyzed using the comet assay. Our findings indicated that the extracts obtained from the composite were severely cytotoxic to both cell lines tested, and additionally highly genotoxic to MRC-5 cells. These biologi...