Synthesis of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles in a Bacterial Nanocellulose Matrix and the Study of Their Oxidizing and Reducing Properties

A soft synthesis of nanoceria with non-stoichiometric composition (33% Ce(3+)/67% Ce(4+)) named CeO(2) NPs in bacterial cellulose (BC) matrix in the form of aerogel and hydrogel with controlled CeO(2) NPs content was proposed. The advantage of CeO(2) NPs synthesis in BC is the use of systemic antacid API–trisamine as a precursor, which did not destruct cellulose at room temperature and enabled a reduction in the duration of synthesis and the number of washes. Moreover, this method resulted in the subsequent uniform distribution of CeO(2) NPs in the BC matrix due to cerium (III) nitrate sorption in the BC matrix. CeO(2) NPs (0.1–50.0%) in the BC matrix had a fluorite structure with a size of 3–5 nm; the specific surface area of the composites was 233.728 m(2)/g. CeO(2) NPs in the BC-CeO(2) NPs composite demonstrated SOD-like activity in the processes of oxidation and reduction of cytochrome c (cyt c(3+)/cyt c(2+)), as well as epinephrine to inhibit its auto-oxidation in aqueous solutions by 33–63% relative to the control. In vitro experiments on rat blood showed a decrease in the MDA level and an increase in the activity of antioxidant defense enzymes–SOD by 24% and G6PDH by 2.0–2.5 times. Therefore, BC-CeO(2) NPs can be proposed for wound healing as antioxidant material.