In-vitro interaction of cerium oxide nanoparticles with hemoglobin, insulin, and dsDNA at 310.15 K: Physicochemical, spectroscopic and in-silico study
Authors: Man Singh
Rajlakshmi Chetty
Journal: International Journal of Biological Macromolecules (2020)
Discipline: BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
Keywords: Lanthanide nanoparticles; cerium oxide nanoparticles; biocompatible; oxidative stresses; interactions
Affiliations: School of Chemical Sciences, Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar 382030, India., School of Chemical Sciences, Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar 382030, India. Electronic address: .

Abstract:  Lanthanide nanoparticles and nanorods especially their biocompatible oxide forms like cerium oxide nanoparticles (CNPs) with therapeutic applications are used to cure neurological oxidative stresses. Thus it tempts to study their biocompatible aspects by interactions with several biologically significant molecules. In-Vitro interactions of 15-240 μM CNPs with water, Phosphate buffered saline (PBS), DMEM media, Insulin (Ins) hemoglobin (Hb) and ds-DNA at 37 °C were studied. Their physicochemical properties study by Borosil Mansingh Survismeter (BMS) showed the first order interaction with the protein-protein structure breaking behaviour of CNPs with Hb, Ins, and DNA. Zeta potential measurements of CNPs in different biological medium show a net increase in negative charge magnitude with good colloidal stability. Kb = 4 × 106 mM-1 of CNPs-DNA infer noncovalent interactions. Circular dichroism and FTIR revealed a loss of secondary conformation with increasing CNPs concentration. In-silico molecular docking depicts CNP interaction via conventional hydrogen bonding, carbon hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions at the minor groove of DNA. The study reports in-dept unfolding functional mechanism investigated by physicochemical, spectroscopic, and In-Silico approaches of protein on interactions with CNPs for safer-by-design use in medicine and pharmaceutics. Fundamentally the CeO2 in ~62% and Ce2O3 in ~38% with Ce4+ and Ce3+ oxidation potentials develop a unique case of electronic configurations with 4f05d06s0 and 4f15d06s0 electrons respectively which these studies a novel one. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 In this research article on page number 1026, in section 3. Results and discussion, sub-section 3.1. Synthesis mechanism of CNPs, the author, wrote, u201cCerium nitrate salt with high reactivity on solubilization with Milli-Q water showed acidic pH. This change in pH confirmed the formation of byproduct HNO3, which increased the solubility of Ce(OH)3 due to acid and base neutralization reaction (Fig. 2). Ce3+ + 3OHu2212 + 3HNO3 u2192 Ce(OH)3 + 3HNO3 Such representation of chemical equation is ambiguous. **Explanation -** A chemical equation is the symbolic representation of a chemical reaction in the form of symbols and formulae, wherein the reactant entities are given on the left-hand side and the product entities on the right-hand side. Generally, the reactants react with each other to provide a product. In the above chemical equation, the HNO3 is on both the side of the arrow. This representation indicates that the HNO3 is not taking part in the chemical reaction. **Question -** 1)tIf HNO3 is not taking part in a chemical reaction, then why is it written so? 2)tIf HNO3 is taking part in the chemical reaction, then why is it shown on both the side of an arrow symbol? ,