A Novel Drug with Potential to Treat Hyperbilirubinemia and Prevent Liver Damage Induced by Hyperbilirubinemia: Carbon Dots Derived from Platycodon grandiflorum

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2023-03, Vol.28 (6), p.2720
• Main Authors: Chen, Rui, Ma, Huagen, Li, Xiaopeng, Wang, Meijun, Yang, Yunbo, Wu, Tong, Zhang, Yue, Kong, Hui, Qu, Huihua, Zhao, Yan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antioxidants; Bilirubin; Biological activity; Brain research; Carbon - chemistry; Carbon dots; Cell growth; Damage prevention; drug therapy; Drugs; Fluorescence; FTIR spectrometers; Herbal medicine; High performance liquid chromatography; High resolution electron microscopy; Hydrogen Peroxide; Hyperbilirubinemia; Inflammation; Infrared spectrometers; Light therapy; Liquid chromatography; Liver; liver protection; Medicine; Mice; Oxidation; Photoelectron spectroscopy; Photoelectrons; Platycodon; Platycodon grandiflorum; Quantum dots; Quantum Dots - chemistry; Spectrometers; Spectrum analysis; Survival; Toxicity; Transmission electron microscopy; X-ray diffraction
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules28062720

(PG) is a traditional Chinese medicine with a long history, but its active compounds have not been reported. In this study, novel carbon dots (CDs), PG-based CDs (PGC-CDs), were discovered and prepared from PG via calcinations and characterized by transmission electron microscopy; high-resolution transmission electron microscopy; X-ray diffraction, fluorescence, ultraviolet-visible, and Fourier-transform infrared spectrometers; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy; and high-performance liquid chromatography. In addition, the safety and antioxidant activity of PGC-CDs was evaluated by RAW264.7 cells and LO2 cells. The therapeutic effects of PGC-CDs on hyperbilirubinemia and liver protection were evaluated in a bilirubin-induced hyperbilirubinemia mice model. The experiment confirmed that the diameter range of PGC-CDs was from 1.2 to 3.6 nm. PGC-CDs had no toxicity to RAW264.7 cells and LO2 cells at a concentration of 3.91 to 1000 µg/mL and could reduce the oxidative damage of cells caused by H O . PGC-CDs could inhibit the increase levels of bilirubin and inflammation factors and increase the levels of antioxidants and survival rate, demonstrating that PGC-CDs possessed anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidation activity. PGC-CDs may reduce the content of bilirubin, so as to reduce a series of pathological lesions caused by bilirubin, which has potential in treating hyperbilirubinemia and preventing liver damage induced by hyperbilirubinemia.