Zinc/Cerium-Substituted Magnetite Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications

Abstract

Numerous studies have reported the possibility of enhancing the properties of materials by incorporating foreign elements within their crystal lattice. In this context, while magnetite has widely known properties that have been used for various biomedical applications, the introduction of other metals within its structure could prospectively enhance its effectiveness. Specifically, zinc and cerium have demonstrated their biomedical potential through significant antioxidant, anticancer, and antimicrobial features. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to develop a series of zinc and/or cerium-substituted magnetite nanoparticles that could further be used in the medical sector. The nanostructures were synthesized through the co-precipitation method and their morpho-structural characteristics were evaluated through X-ray diffraction (XRD), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analyses. Furthermore, the nanostructures were subjected to a ROS-Glo H2O2 assay for assessing their antioxidant potential, MTT assay for determining their anticancer effects, and antimicrobial testing against S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, and C. albicans strains. Results have proven promising for future biomedical applications, as the nanostructures inhibit oxidative stress in normal cells, with between two- and three-fold reduction and cell proliferation in tumor cells; a two-fold decrease in cell viability and microbial growth; an inhibition zone diameter of 4–6 mm and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 1–2 mg/mL.

Microfluidic Synthesis of Magnetite Nanoparticles for the Controlled Release of Antibiotics

“…Therefore, the addition of antibiotics does not lead to the formation of secondary iron oxide phases, such as maghemite or hematite. [12,13,40,41]. All samples were sterilized using UV radiation for 20 min, followed by their dispersion in sterile deionized water at a concentration of 2 mg/mL.…”

“…The antimicrobial assays performed are in accordance with previous studies [12,13,40,41]. All samples were sterilized using UV radiation for 20 min, followed by their dispersion in sterile deionized water at a concentration of 2 mg/mL.…”

“…Specifically, besides their intrinsic antimicrobial properties which makes them more suitable than polymeric nanoparticles, their unique magnetic properties allow for the direct targeting of the disease site using a magnetic field [ 11 ]. Therefore, MNPs are used in a wide variety of biomedical applications, ranging from antimicrobial and anticancer treatment alternatives [ 4 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ] to diagnosis and imagining applications [ 17 , 18 , 19 ]. Nevertheless, the synthesis of MNPs generally involves the co-precipitation of iron ions into an alkaline medium, which poses several disadvantages in terms of control over the outcome properties of the nanoparticles, especially regarding their size and shape uniformity [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ].…”

Magnetic Nanoparticles for Biomedical and Imaging Applications

“…One of the manuscripts submitted for this Special Issue aims to improve the properties of magnetite nanoparticles by incorporating zinc and/or cerium ions into its crystal lattice. Biological evaluation showed that such incorporation led to the emergence of antioxidant, anticancer, and antimicrobial properties in the nanostructures, with the effectiveness depending on the type and concentration of ions used for replacement [ 6 ].…”