In vitro toxicity assessment of zinc and nickel ferrite nanoparticles in human erythrocytes and peripheral blood mononuclear cell.

Ferrite nanoparticles (NPs) have gained attention in biomedicine due to their many potential applications, such as targeted drug delivery, their use as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging and oncological treatments. The information about the risk effects of ferrite NPs in human blood cells is, however, scarce. To assess their potential toxicity, in vitro studies were carried out with magnetite and zinc, nickel and nickel­zinc ferrites NPs at different concentrations (50, 100 and 200 µg·ml-1). The toxicity of the ferrite NPs was evaluated in humans by determining red blood hemolysis, by measuring the content of total proteins, and by assaying catalase and glutathione-S-transferase activities. Our results show that nickel­zinc ferrite lead to hemolysis, and that magnetite, zinc and nickel­zinc ferrites increase glutathione-S-transferase activity. No significant changes in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells viability were observed after the treatment with the four different ferrite NPs in vitro.