Min Ki Ha, Kim Koung Hee, Seo Joo-Hyung, Pack Seung Pil
Institute of Industrial Technology, Korea University, Sejong 30019, Republic of Korea.
Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Korea University, Sejong 30019, Republic of Korea.
Biomolecules. 2025 May 25;15(6):760. doi: 10.3390/biom15060760.
Biochar, a carbonaceous material derived from biomass, has garnered significant attention for its biomedical applications due to its unique physicochemical properties. Recent advances in functionalized and composite biochar materials have enabled their use in antibacterial and anticancer treatments, as well as biosensing technologies. This review highlights recent advances in the use of biochar for antimicrobial, anticancer, and biosensing applications. Derived from plant-, marine-, or animal-based biomass through pyrolysis, biochar can be functionalized with silver nanoparticles, metal oxides, or polymers to enhance its antimicrobial activity. In anticancer research, biochar demonstrates the ability to inhibit cancer cell proliferation, modulate the cell cycle, and deliver targeted therapeutics, showing selective cytotoxicity against specific cancer cell types. Furthermore, biochar-based biosensors, when integrated with biomolecules such as enzymes, DNA, or antibodies, exhibit high sensitivity and specificity, making them suitable for precise disease diagnostics. These findings suggest that biochar holds significant potential as a sustainable biomedical material, offering alternatives to conventional antibiotics, supporting cancer therapy, and enabling sensitive biosensing platforms. Future functionalization strategies may further facilitate its clinical translation and practical applications.
生物炭是一种源自生物质的含碳材料，因其独特的物理化学性质，在生物医学应用方面受到了广泛关注。功能化和复合生物炭材料的最新进展使其能够用于抗菌和抗癌治疗以及生物传感技术。本综述重点介绍了生物炭在抗菌、抗癌和生物传感应用方面的最新进展。生物炭通过热解从植物、海洋或动物基生物质中获得，可以用银纳米颗粒、金属氧化物或聚合物进行功能化，以增强其抗菌活性。在抗癌研究中，生物炭表现出抑制癌细胞增殖、调节细胞周期和递送靶向治疗药物的能力，对特定类型的癌细胞显示出选择性细胞毒性。此外，基于生物炭的生物传感器与酶、DNA或抗体等生物分子结合时，表现出高灵敏度和特异性，使其适用于精确的疾病诊断。这些发现表明，生物炭作为一种可持续的生物医学材料具有巨大潜力，可替代传统抗生素，支持癌症治疗，并实现灵敏的生物传感平台。未来的功能化策略可能会进一步促进其临床转化和实际应用。
