Nanoparticles: Toxicity, Radicals, Electron Transfer, and Antioxidants

Abstract

In recent years, nanoparticles have received increasing attention in research and technology, including a variety of practical applications. The bioactivity appears to be related to the small particle size, in addition to inherent chemical activity as electron transfer (ET) agents, generators of reactive oxygen species (ROS) with subsequent oxidative stress (OS), and as antioxidants (AOs). The mechanism of toxicity, therapeutic action, and AO property is addressed based on the ET-ROS-OS approach. There are several main classes of ET functionalities, namely, quinones (or phenolic precursors), metal compounds, aromatic nitro compounds (or reduction products), and imine or iminium species. Most of the nanospecies fall within the metal category. Cell signaling is also discussed. This review discusses recent developments based on ET-ROS-OS-AO framework.

Facile synthesis, pharmacokinetic and systemic clearance evaluation, and positron emission tomography cancer imaging of64Cu–Au alloy nanoclusters

“…11,37,38 This was consistent with a previous report demonstrating the effects of surface modification on AuNCs' in vivo pharmacokinetics. [43][44][45] In contrast to the large AuNPs, AuNCs have less concern mainly due to the lower MPS accumulation. This differed from the large AuNPs in various shapes which showed constant hepatic/splenic retentions.…”

Small airway epithelial cells exposure to printer-emitted engineered nanoparticles induces cellular effects on human microvascular endothelial cells in an alveolar-capillary co-culture model

“…It has been well demonstrated that nanoparticle exposure induces the production of ROS (Nel A, 2006, Roy et al, 2014, Kovacic P, 2013, Apopa PL, 2009). The increase in the production of ROS within a cell can lead to damage of DNA, proteins or lipids (Watson et al, 2014).…”

Evaluation of Antioxidant and Cytotoxicity Activities of Copper Ferrite (CuFe2O4) and Zinc Ferrite (ZnFe2O4) Nanoparticles Synthesized by Sol-Gel Self-Combustion Method

“…This antioxidant activity could be linked to the transfer of free electrons from the oxygen atom of nanoparticles to free radicals present at the nitrogen atom of DPPH molecules. It has been reported that many of the metal nanoparticles can scavenge free radicals and act as antioxidants [49]. Moreover, a study by [36] reported that the antioxidant activity is mainly due to high surface to volume ratio of the nanostructures.…”