SYNTHESIS OF CARBON NANO DOTS FROM VARIOUS TYPES OF SUGARS FOR BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS
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Date
2025-05-26
Authors
Qassim, Samah Gazi
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Publisher
An-Najah National University
Abstract
In the world, cancer ranks second among the leading causes of death, prompting the exploration of various treatment methods such as chemotherapy with or without radiation and surgery, as well as biological and gene therapy. Due to the significant side effects of traditional therapies, alternative treatments are in high demand. Modern medical research has turned to nanotechnology, particularly nanoparticles ranging from 1–100 nanometers, to develop new cancer therapies. Carbon nanodots (CNDs) are highlighted for their unique physical, chemical, electrical, mechanical, and optical properties, making them a promising option in cancer treatment.
This project aimed to employ a green and simple hydrothermal route as a bottom-up approach to producing carbon nanodots from various types of sugars (glucose, galactose, fructose, sucrose, lactose, and maltose). The synthesis process is achieved by carbonizing the sugars in an autoclave at 200 °C for 24 hours.
The prepared CNDs were characterized by different techniques, including AFM, FT-XPS, UV-Vis, and fluorescence spectroscopy. The characterization of the CNDs confirms their solubility in water, their tiny size, and their luminescence. According to the findings, they pose particle size range of 2.7-4.5 nm , an average quantum yield of 2.35%, an average product yield of 15% and they are soluble in water with an average ζ potential of -24.08 mV.
Consequently, the prepared CNDs were exposed to two classes of cell lines, including: hepatocellular carcinoma Hep3B and Non-cancerous LX-2 hepatic stellate cells served as a comparative model to evaluate the selectivity of CNDs against hepatocarcinoma cells. The exposure of the cells resulted in an anticancer activity against the Hep3B cells, while the LX2 cells remained unaffected. The selectivity index (SI) analysis revealed that glucose- and maltose-derived CNDs exhibited the most favorable selectivity toward hepatocellular carcinoma cells, with SI values of 2.69 and 2.55, respectively. These results indicate that certain sugar-derived CNDs can effectively target cancer cells while minimizing harm to normal hepatic cells, supporting their potential as selective anticancer agents. The supportive explanation of the anticancer activity is the generation of small reactive oxygen species ROS, indicating the specificity of the CNDs against only abnormal cells. These results support the therapeutic potential of structurally optimized, sugar-derived CNDs for the targeted treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, demonstrating favorable selectivity indices.