Evaluating of novel Mn–Mg–Co ferrite nanoparticles for biomedical applications: From synthesis to biological activities

Abstract

We have investigated, for the first time, the hyperthermia properties, antibacterial, anticancer and antioxidant activities, as well as their toxicity, of Mn0.25Mg0.25Co0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles synthesized by the sol-gel auto-combustion method. X-ray diffraction results revealed a pure phase and good crystallinity of the synthesized. In addition, the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum confirmed the formation of the crystallographic sites of the synthesized structure. In terms of morphology, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the nanoparticles were agglomerated. In addition, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that the nanoparticles had a cubic shape and a nanometric size of around 32 nm. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) confirmed the chemical composition of the nanoparticles. With regard to magnetic properties, magnetic measurements showed almost ferrimagnetic behavior, with a saturation magnetization of 38.90 emu/g at room temperature. Hyperthermia measurements revealed relatively good heating efficiencies, with SAR value of 33W/g, good temperature rise and short time to reach magnetic hyperthermia temperature 42 °C (8 min). For biological activities the nanoparticles showed an excellent capacity to neutralize free radicals, eliminating 97% of DPPH and 95% of hydrogen peroxide. The dose of 40 mg/kg of the nanoparticles caused significant alterations in hematological and biochemical profiles. The material showed a significant effect on various bacterial strains, including Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis. The synthesized nanoparticles also showed significant activity against various cell lines, including MCF-7 and HeLa. These results strongly suggest the promising utilization of Mn0.25Mg0.25Co0.5Fe2O4, in many applications as a potential candidate for magnetic-mediated hyperthermia.