Mohamed Fatma El-Zahraa S, Tohamy Hebat-Allah S, El-Sakhawy Mohamed
Nutrition & Food Science Department, Research of Food Industries and Nutrition Institute, National Research Centre, 33 El Bohouth St. (former El Tahrir St.), P.O. 12622, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt.
Cellulose and Paper Department, National Research Centre, 33 El Bohouth Str, P.O. 12622, Dokki, Giza, Egypt.
BMC Pharmacol Toxicol. 2025 May 1;26(1):94. doi: 10.1186/s40360-025-00924-0.
Cirrhosis is considered as a severe liver disease that causes partial liver damage as well as total liver destruction; It remains a significant health concern. Sugar cane juice is a particularly beneficial beverage, and its waste products are crucial for treating numerous illnesses. As compared to traditional treatments, zinc-doped carbon quantum dots (Zn/CQDs) are easy-to-prepare, economically invested, high nutritive value and environmentally safe substance.
MATERIALS & METHODS: This study investigated the hepatoprotective effects of zinc-doped carbon quantum dots (Zn/CQDs) against carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced liver injury in male Wistar albino rats. Zn/CQDs were synthesized using a microwave-assisted method and characterized using FTIR and XRD techniques. Meanwhile, a liver Cirrhosis model induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl) was utilized to determine the inhibitory effects of sugar cane juice mixed with Zn/CQDs against liver Cirrhosis. Biochemical parameters, including AST, ALT, and uric acid, were measured to assess liver function. Histopathological analysis was performed to examine liver tissue damage.
In this study, Zn/CQDs were extended from 1.62 to 5.45 nm. The results demonstrated that Zn/CQDs exhibited significant hepatoprotective effects by reducing liver enzyme levels and mitigating histopathological changes. However, the study also highlighted the need for further optimization of the used vehicle delivery method, such as sugarcane juice, which is showed a marginal impact on liver function. Sugar cane juice with Zn/CQDs decreased aspartate amino transferase levels (AST) and improved the uric acid concentration. It means a protection from the toxins effect by controlling the liver enzyme levels; but also, elevated levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) indicate ongoing liver injury. Overall, this study provides future insights into the potential of sugar cane juice with Zn/CQDs as a high nutritive value additive to drinks and food; it is investigated for plants waste as a novel green therapeutic strategy for liver diseases. Further research is necessary to explore the underlying mechanisms of action and to optimize their formulation for clinical applications.
Overall, this study provides promising insights into the potential of Zn/CQDs as a novel green therapeutic strategy for liver diseases.
肝硬化被认为是一种严重的肝脏疾病，会导致部分肝脏损伤以及肝脏完全破坏；它仍然是一个重大的健康问题。甘蔗汁是一种特别有益的饮品，其废弃物对于治疗多种疾病至关重要。与传统治疗方法相比，掺锌碳量子点（Zn/CQDs）是易于制备、成本低、营养价值高且对环境安全的物质。
本研究调查了掺锌碳量子点（Zn/CQDs）对雄性Wistar白化大鼠四氯化碳（CCl₄）诱导的肝损伤的肝保护作用。采用微波辅助法合成Zn/CQDs，并使用傅里叶变换红外光谱（FTIR）和X射线衍射（XRD）技术对其进行表征。同时，利用四氯化碳（CCl）诱导的肝硬化模型来确定甘蔗汁与Zn/CQDs混合对肝硬化的抑制作用。测量包括谷草转氨酶（AST）、谷丙转氨酶（ALT）和尿酸在内的生化参数以评估肝功能。进行组织病理学分析以检查肝组织损伤情况。
在本研究中，Zn/CQDs的粒径范围为1.62至5.45纳米。结果表明，Zn/CQDs通过降低肝酶水平和减轻组织病理学变化表现出显著的肝保护作用。然而，该研究也强调需要进一步优化所用的载体递送方法，例如甘蔗汁，其对肝功能的影响较小。含有Zn/CQDs的甘蔗汁降低了天冬氨酸氨基转移酶水平（AST）并提高了尿酸浓度。这意味着通过控制肝酶水平来抵御毒素的影响；但是，谷丙转氨酶（ALT）水平升高表明肝脏仍在持续损伤。总体而言，本研究为含有Zn/CQDs的甘蔗汁作为饮品和食品的高营养价值添加剂的潜力提供了未来的见解；研究了植物废弃物作为一种治疗肝脏疾病的新型绿色治疗策略。有必要进一步研究以探索其潜在的作用机制并优化其临床应用的配方。
总体而言，本研究为Zn/CQDs作为一种治疗肝脏疾病的新型绿色治疗策略的潜力提供了有前景的见解。
