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Abstract

Inorganic nanoparticles have received special attention in recent years, mainly due to the interesting electronic properties of transition metals. Inorganic nanoparticles have redox, optical and magnetic properties that allow them to function as therapeutic agents and as diagnostic tools, leading to a theranostic approach of bimedical applications.

Oxidative stress is an imbalance between the production of reactive species and their overproduction due to disruptive factors, so that reactive species overwhelm the antioxidant defense of the human body. It can cause various pathologies, those related to inflammatory phenomena, cardiovascular problems and aging being notorious. Nanotechnologies can provide solutions in reducing oxidative stress at the systemic or targeted level, being known the applications of nanoparticles as targeted drug delivery agents.

Due to the incomplete electron-occupied d or f orbitals of transition metals, cumulated with crystalline defects, the inorganic nanoparticles had redox properties that allow them to be involved in biochemical redox processes. In this context, the up-to-date results regarding the obtaining and antioxidant activity of the nanoparticles with core-shell structure will be discussed here. The study will be done both from the perspective of the intrinsic activity of the inorganic core of the nanoparticles with core-shell structure, and of the activity added by the coating polymer layer, which may itself be active, or may contain antioxidants. A large part of this essay is dedicated to magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) with free radical scavenging properties. Two particular examples are discussed in details: magnetic nanoparticles as platforms for the transport and protection of natural antioxidants and MNP conjugated with nanoceria as synthetic inorganic antioxidants.

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Abbreviations

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

CAT:

Catalase

MNP:

Magnetic nanoparticles

PEI:

Polyethyleneimine

SBEβCD:

Sulfobutyl ether-β-cyclodextrin

PCA:

Protocatehuic acid

SBEβCD/PCA:

Inclusion complex of sulfobutyl ether-β-cyclodextrin with protocatehuic acid

MPEI:

Magnetite nanoparticles coated with branched polyethyleneimine

MPEI-PCA:

Magnetite nanoparticles coated with branched polyethyleneimine and loaded with protocatehuic acid

MPEI-SBEβCD/PCA:

Magnetite nanoparticles coated with branched polyethyleneimine and loaded with the sulfobutyl ether-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex with protocatehuic acid

CeNP:

Cerium oxide nanoparticles

CePEI:

Cerium oxide nanoparticles coated with branched polyethyleneimine

CePEI-GA:

Cerium oxide nanoparticles coated with crosslinked polyethyleneimine with glutaric aldehyde

MPEI-GA:

Magnetite nanoparticles coated with glutaric aldehyde crosslinked polyethyleneimine containing active aldehyde groups

MCePEI-GA:

Interconnected magnetite and cerium oxide nanoparticles of crosslinked polyethyleneimine with glutaric aldehyde

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Acknowledgements

This project has received funding from the H2020 ERA Chairs Project no 667387: SupraChem Lab Laboratory of Supramolecular Chemistry for Adaptive Delivery Systems ERA Chair initiative. This work was also supported by a grant from the Romanian Ministry of Research and Innovation, CCCDI–UEFISCDI, project number PN-III-P1-1.2-PCCDI-2017-0697/13PCCDI/2018, within PNCDI III.

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Correspondence to Adrian Fifere .

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Fifere, A., Moleavin, IA.T., Lungoci, AL., Marangoci, N.L., Pinteala, M. (2021). Inorganic Nanoparticles as Free Radical Scavengers. In: J.M. Abadie, M., Pinteala, M., Rotaru, A. (eds) New Trends in Macromolecular and Supramolecular Chemistry for Biological Applications. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57456-7_15

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