An electrochemical DNA biosensor for evaluating the effect of mix anion in cellular fluid on the antioxidant activity of CeO2 nanoparticles

CeO2 nanoparticles are of particular interest as a novel antioxidant for scavenging free radicals. However, some studies showed that they could cause cell damage or death by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS). Up to now, it is not well understood about these paradoxical phenomena. Therefore, many attentions have been paid to the factors that could affect the antioxidant activity of CeO2 nanoparticles. CeO2 nanoparticles would inevitably encounter body fluid environment for its potential medical application. In this work the antioxidant activity behavior of CeO2 nanoparticles is studied in simulated cellular fluid, which contains main body anions (HPO42−, HCO3−, Cl− and SO42−), by a method of electrochemical DNA biosensor. We found that in the solution of Cl− and SO42−, CeO2 nanoparticles can protect DNA from damage by hydroxyl radicals, while in the presence of HPO42− and HCO3−, CeO2 nanoparticles lose the antioxidant activity. This can be explained by the cerium phosphate and cerium carbonate formed on the surface of the nanoparticles, which interfere with the redox cycling between Ce3+ and Ce4+. These results not only add basic knowledge to the antioxidant activity of CeO2 nanoparticles under different situations, but also pave the way for practical applications of nanoceria. Moreover, it also shows electrochemical DNA biosensor is an effective method to explore the antioxidant activity of CeO2 nanoparticles.