Size-dependent antioxidative activity of platinum nanoparticles

Background So far, most of studies on nanometer-sized metal particles have focused on biological safety and potential hazards. However, anti-oxidative activity of noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) attracts much attention, recently. Platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs) are one of the most important noble metals in nanotechnology because Pt NPs have negative surface potential from negative charges and are stably suspended from an electric repulsion between the same charged particles [1]. We previously reported that Pt NPs of 2-3 nm sizes scavenged reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide anion radical, hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radical in vitro [2]. Here, we report the cytotoxicity and size-dependent antioxidative activity of Pt NPs on rat skeletal muscle cell line, L6.