Fig. 6: Physiological and pathological effects of natural nanozymes.
a Magnetosomes in Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense are natural nanozymes composed of Fe3O4 enclosed in a lipid bilayer membrane. These nanozymes exhibit peroxidase-like activity, but unlike other Fe3O4 nanozymes that generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), they scavenge intracellular ROS. This scavenging effect likely results from the restricted release of generated radicals, retained on the surface of the Fe3O4 core or confined by the lipid membrane, or from potential catalase-like activity under neutral pH conditions in the bacterial cytoplasm. b Recombinant ferritin expressed by Escherichia coli contains an iron core with ferrihydrite as the main component, functioning as a superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like nanozyme with antioxidant properties. c Nanoaggregates formed by the Aβ1-42 peptide exhibit peroxidase-like activity, producing reactive oxygen species that may contribute to neuronal degeneration in Alzheimer’s disease.
