Velumani Kadhirmathiyan, Thomas Ashley George, Shaik Mohammed Rafi, Hussain Shaik Althaf, Shaik Baji, Guru Ajay, Issac Praveen Kumar
Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, India.
Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
J Biochem Mol Toxicol. 2025 Jul;39(7):e70380. doi: 10.1002/jbt.70380.
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are the by-products of energy metabolism, which play various key roles in the body's metabolism. However, excessive ROS production may contribute to several diseases. Reports suggest that the functional properties of the nanoparticles can be altered by conjugating a plant's secondary metabolite. Artemisinin, extracted from Artemisia annua, was reported to have various therapeutic properties. We aim to synthesise artemisinin-conjugated zinc oxide nanoparticles (ART-ZnO NPs) and evaluate their antioxidant properties. In vitro studies showed that ART-ZnO NPs have the ability to scavenge free radicals effectively. The zebrafish developmental toxicity studies indicated that ART-ZnO NPs can protect the zebrafish larvae exposed to Luperox-induced oxidative stress from developmental and cognitive impairment. Further enzymatic analysis revealed that the ART-ZnO NPs upregulated the Antioxidant enzymes and downregulated the oxidative stress markers like lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide production. Additionally, they improved acetylcholinesterase enzyme activity, crucial for neuronal function, in stressed larvae. The fluorescence microscopy investigation showed ART-ZnO NPs also regulated the ROS and ROS-induced cell death in the zebrafish larvae exposed to Luperox-induced oxidative stress. Notably, ART-ZnO NPs increased the expression of both primary and secondary antioxidant enzymes and protected the larvae from oxidative stress-induced cell damage. Our findings strongly support the potential therapeutic properties of ART-ZnO NPs against oxidative stress. Further research is warranted to explore their applications in treating related conditions.
活性氧（ROS）是能量代谢的副产物，在机体代谢中发挥着多种关键作用。然而，过量产生ROS可能会引发多种疾病。报告表明，通过结合植物次生代谢产物可以改变纳米颗粒的功能特性。据报道，从黄花蒿中提取的青蒿素具有多种治疗特性。我们旨在合成青蒿素共轭氧化锌纳米颗粒（ART-ZnO NPs）并评估其抗氧化性能。体外研究表明，ART-ZnO NPs具有有效清除自由基的能力。斑马鱼发育毒性研究表明，ART-ZnO NPs可以保护暴露于鲁珀罗克斯诱导的氧化应激下的斑马鱼幼虫免受发育和认知损伤。进一步的酶分析显示，ART-ZnO NPs上调了抗氧化酶的表达，并下调了脂质过氧化和一氧化氮产生等氧化应激标志物。此外，它们还提高了应激幼虫中对神经元功能至关重要的乙酰胆碱酯酶的活性。荧光显微镜研究表明，ART-ZnO NPs还调节了暴露于鲁珀罗克斯诱导的氧化应激下的斑马鱼幼虫中的ROS以及ROS诱导的细胞死亡。值得注意的是，ART-ZnO NPs增加了初级和次级抗氧化酶的表达，并保护幼虫免受氧化应激诱导的细胞损伤。我们的研究结果有力地支持了ART-ZnO NPs对抗氧化应激的潜在治疗特性。有必要进一步研究以探索它们在治疗相关病症中的应用。
