Lin Shuai, Zheng Yu-Jun, Xu Yi-Ze, Zhou Yang, He Xin, Zhang Chun-Feng, Yuan Chun-Su
School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjia Lane, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, China.
School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Nanoscale. 2025 Jan 29;17(5):2668-2681. doi: 10.1039/d4nr04486j.
Obesity, a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by excessive body weight and adipose tissue accumulation, is intricately linked to a spectrum of health complications. It is driven by a confluence of factors, including gut microbiota dysbiosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress, which are pivotal in its pathogenesis. A multifaceted therapeutic strategy that targets these interrelated pathways is essential for effective obesity management. In this context, biomass-derived carbon dots have emerged as a promising avenue due to their diverse biological activities and potential in nanomedicine. Our study presents the synthesis of multi-modal hawthorn carbon dots (HCD), employing a green hydrothermal carbonization method that diverged from traditional stir-frying techniques. This eco-friendly approach facilitates the preparation of HCD, emphasizing the role of sugar compounds as the primary carbon source in their formation. assays demonstrate that HCD possess potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which are crucial in combating the oxidative stress and inflammation associated with obesity. We further investigate the impact of HCD intervention in a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity mouse model, employing both post-modeling and simultaneous modeling administration strategies. Our findings reveal that HCD treatment significantly reduces body weight and hepatic lipid accumulation in HFD mice, concurrently enhancing glucose tolerance and alleviating insulin resistance. Moreover, antibiotic perturbation experiments, complemented by bioinformatics analysis of colon microbiota, indicate that HCD substantially modulate gut microbiota composition. This modulation is associated with the amelioration of obesity-related conditions, suggesting that HCD may exert their beneficial effects through the regulation of gut microbiota, in addition to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. These multimodal mechanisms of action position HCD as a promising candidate for the prevention and treatment of obesity, offering a novel therapeutic strategy that targets the complex interplay of factors involved in this metabolic disorder.
肥胖是一种以体重过重和脂肪组织堆积为特征的慢性代谢紊乱疾病，与一系列健康并发症有着复杂的联系。它是由多种因素共同作用导致的，包括肠道微生物群失调、炎症和氧化应激，这些因素在其发病机制中起着关键作用。针对这些相互关联途径的多方面治疗策略对于有效管理肥胖至关重要。在这种背景下，生物质衍生的碳点因其多样的生物活性和在纳米医学中的潜力而成为一条有前途的途径。我们的研究介绍了多模态山楂碳点（HCD）的合成，采用了一种不同于传统炒制技术的绿色水热碳化方法。这种环保方法有助于制备HCD，强调了糖化合物作为其形成过程中主要碳源的作用。实验表明，HCD具有强大的抗炎和抗氧化特性，这对于对抗与肥胖相关的氧化应激和炎症至关重要。我们进一步研究了HCD干预在高脂饮食（HFD）诱导的肥胖小鼠模型中的影响，采用了建模后和同时建模给药策略。我们的研究结果表明，HCD治疗显著降低了HFD小鼠的体重和肝脏脂质积累，同时提高了葡萄糖耐量并减轻了胰岛素抵抗。此外，抗生素干扰实验以及结肠微生物群的生物信息学分析表明，HCD可显著调节肠道微生物群组成。这种调节与肥胖相关病症的改善有关，表明HCD除了其抗炎和抗氧化活性外，还可能通过调节肠道微生物群发挥其有益作用。这些多模态作用机制使HCD成为预防和治疗肥胖的有前途的候选者，提供了一种针对这种代谢紊乱中涉及的复杂因素相互作用的新型治疗策略。
