Fe2O3/C nanocomposites having distinctive antioxidant activity and hemolysis prevention efficiency

Tailored magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles hold the prospect for nouveau applications in the field of biomedical technology. Herein, we report novel functionalities of this iron oxide system by developing a hybrid of Fe2O3/C to make it a multifunctional biomedical agent. A detailed magnetic study carried out at varying temperatures confirms the intrinsic superparamagnetic character of these iron oxide-carbon composites. The potential of the nanocomposite for biomedical applications has been evaluated by its ability to scavenge free radical by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) assay. Moreover, the nanocomposite was monitored for successful hemolysis inhibition of mammalian erythrocytes. The nanocomposite showed promising compatibility with the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) which was visualized from trypan blue dye exclusion assay. Biocompatible carbon coating over the iron oxide nanoparticles with these functionalities has transformed it to a multifunctional nanoparticulate biomedical agent potential for future clinical translation. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.