Abstract:
Oxidative stress caused by free radicals is one of the great threats to inflict intracellular damage. Here, we report a
convenient approach to the synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of the radical activity of titanium-based composites. We
have investigated the potential of natural antioxidants (curcumin, quercetin, catechin, and vitamin E) as radical scavengers and
stabilizers. The titanium oxide composites were prepared via three steps including sol−gel synthesis, carboxylation, and
esterification. The characterization of the titanium−phenol composites was carried out by FTIR, PXRD, UV−vis and SEM
methods. The radical scavenging ability of the novel materials was evaluated using DPPH and an in vitro LPO assay using
isolated rat liver mitochondria. The novel materials exhibit both a higher stability and an antioxidant activity in comparison to
bare TiO2. It was found that curcumin and quercetin based composites show the highest antioxidant efficiency among the
composites under study followed by catechin and vitamin E based materials. The results from an MTT assay carried out on the
Caco-2 cell line indicate that the composites do not contribute to the cytotoxicity in vitro. This study demonstrates that a
combination of powerful antioxidants with titanium dioxide can change its functional properties and provide a convenient
strategy against oxidative stress.
