Current paper presents biological effects of magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs). "Relations of MNP' characteristics (zeta-potential and hydrodynamic diameters) with effects on bacteria and their enzymatic reactions were the main focus.". Photobacterium phosphoreum and bacterial enzymatic reactions were chosen as bioassays. Three types of MNPs were under study: bare Fe3O4, Fe3O4 modified with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (Fe3O4/APTES), and humic acids (Fe3O4/HA). Effects of the MNPs were studied at a low concentration range (< 2 mg/L) and attributed to availability and oxidative activity of Fe3+, high negative surface charge, and low hydrodynamic diameter of Fe3O4/HA, as well as higher Fe3+ content in suspensions of Fe3O4/HA. Low-concentration suspensions of bare Fe3O4 provided inhibitory effects in both bacterial and enzymatic bioassays, whereas the MNPs with modified surface (Fe3O4/APTES and Fe3O4/HA) did not affect the enzymatic activity. Under oxidative stress (i.e., in the solutions of model oxidizer, 1,4-benzoquinone), MNPs did not reveal antioxidant activity, moreover, Fe3O4/HA demonstrated additional inhibitory activity. The study contributes to the deeper understanding of a role of humic substances and silica in biogeochemical cycling of iron. Bioluminescence assays, cellular and enzymatic, can serve as convenient tools to evaluate bioavailability of Fe3+ in natural dispersions of iron-containing nanoparticles, e.g., magnetite, ferrihydrite, etc.
Keywords: NADH:FMN-oxidoreductase; Photobacterium phosphoreum; bacterial assay; bioluminescence; enzymatic assay; humic acids-coated magnetite nanoparticles; hydrodynamic diameter; luciferase; magnetite nanoparticles; oxidative stress; silica-coated magnetite nanoparticles; toxicity; zeta potential.