Abstract
In this research, tin ferrite (SnFe2O4) NPs were synthesized via hydrothermal route using ferric chloride and tin chloride as precursors and were then characterized in terms of morphology and structure using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), X-ray power diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method. The obtained UV-Vis spectra was used to measure band gap energy of as-prepared SnFe2O4 NPs. XRD confirmed the spinel structure of NPs, while SEM and TEM analyses disclosed the size of NPs in the range of 15–50 nm and revealed the spherical shape of NPs. Moreover, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and BET analysis was carried out to estimate elemental composition and specific surface area, respectively. In vitro cytotoxicity of the synthesized NPs were studied on normal (HUVEC, HEK293) and cancerous (A549) human cell lines. HUVEC cells were resistant to SnFe2O4 NPs; while a significant decrease in the viability of HEK293 cells was observed when treated with higher concentrations of SnFe2O4 NPs. Furthermore, SnFe2O4 NPs induced dramatic cytotoxicity against A549 cells. For in vivo study, rats received SnFe2O4 NPs at dosages of 0, 0.1, 1, and 10 mg/kg. The 10 mg/kg dose increased serum blood urea nitrogen and creatinine compared to the controls (P < 0.05). The pathology showed necrosis in the liver, heart, and lungs, and the greatest damages were related to the kidneys. Overall, the in vivo and in vitro experiments showed that SnFe2O4 NPs at high doses had toxic effects on lung, liver and kidney cells without inducing toxicity to HUVECs. Further studies are warranted to fully elucidate the side effects of SnFe2O4 NPs for their application in theranostics.
Highlights
Today, nanomedicine deals with the application of accurately engineered materials to emerge new modalities in theranostics [1]
The filtered product was placed in an oven at 100 ◦C and, after this, calcination of the prepared SnFe2O4 NPs was carried out at 300 ◦C in a muffle furnace for 4 h to remove any kind of impurity, if present
A hydrothermal approach is utilized for the synthesis of SnFe2O4 NPs
Summary
Nanomedicine deals with the application of accurately engineered materials to emerge new modalities in theranostics [1]. These nanomaterials are ultra-small and highly reactive, making useful tools for overcoming limitations observed in conventional theranostic agents [2]. Cancer cells have high hydrogen peroxide levels that can catalyze the Fenton reaction, resulting in anticancer reactive oxygen species (ROS) [3]. Spinel ferrites are the foremost class of such materials because of their intensified catalytic, optical, electronic, magnetic, and electrical characteristics. Spinel ferrites possess generalized formula of MIIFe2O4 (where MII = Fe, Mn, Ni, etc.), and the unit cell with 32 oxygen atoms possess face-centred compact packing. By varying the nature of the bivalent ion M2+, one can get ferrites with different magnetic and physical properties [6,7]
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