The biocompatibility evaluation of iron oxide nanoparticles synthesized by a one pot process for intravenous iron supply

This paper reports a new synthesis method to control the size of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONs) by adding sodium citrate during fabrication to obtain sodium citrate-modified iron oxide nanoparticles (SCIONs). The method was simpler and more effective than the synthetic process of ferumoxytol, a commercial nano-sized iron agent. Compared with other iron agents which were prepared using branched polymers to form a carbohydrate shell, our SCIONs were tightly bound within a nonionic carbohydrate matrix. The physicochemical properties of SCIONs were characterized, and the results showed that these nanoparticles could be stably stored in water for six months without sedimentation. The cytotoxicity evaluation of SCIONs indicated that they were biocompatible to cells. The effect of iron supply by SCIONs was assessed by measuring the retention of iron ions in the serum, and the results demonstrated that the synthesized SCIONs are very promising for intravenous iron supply.