Cerium oxide nanoparticles synthesized via green route exhibit neuroprotective effects in Alzheimer's-induced Albino Wistar rats

Abstract

Green synthesis of cerium oxide nanoparticles emerges as a feasible therapeutic strategy for disorders like Alzheimer's to determine its antioxidant and cytotoxicity in the in vitro environment, following in vivo studies, safety and effectiveness were confirmed. This approach has gained increased reliability compared to physical and chemical methods due to its non-toxic and environmentally friendly nature. The synthesized nanoparticles are then characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), particle size, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy. Design optimization was applied to the selected variables to get the best-fit values of the experiment. FTIR spectroscopy revealed amide, carboxyl, and ester groups in the cerium oxide particles produced by Candida albicans, indicating their significance in nanoparticle stabilization. The particle size and zeta potential of cerium oxide nanoparticles were found to be 152 nm and - 15 mV, respectively. Various antioxidant studies, such as 2, 2-Diphenyl-2-Picryl Hydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), anti-lipid peroxidation, and catalase, were conducted, revealing that synthesized nanoparticles had high antioxidant activity. SEM images produced high-quality, evenly distributed images. Cerium oxide nanoparticles effectively inhibited SK-N-SH human neuroblastoma cells, with an IC₅₀ value of 65 µg/ml. An in vivo study was performed using an amyloid-beta-induced intracerebroventricular rat model. The finding demonstrates the induction of AD in rats led to spatial memory impairments, whereas the treatment with cerium oxide nanoparticles suggests a significant improvement in neuroprotective effect. This outcome was validated through Morris water maze behavioral assessment and histopathological analysis. The results indicated that the synthesized cerium oxide nanoparticles, optimizing using the Box-Behnken design, resulted in strong antioxidant and cytotoxic activities (65%).

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-025-04563-4.

Keywords: Anti-lipid peroxidation assay; Antioxidant activity; Candida albicans; Cerium oxide nanoparticles; DPPH; Morris water maze; SK–N–SH cell lines.