Research Article
Open Access
Evaluation of the Biocompatibility and Cytotoxic Potential of Carbon Dot Nanoparticles Using Controlled In Vitro Studies
Shen Lee1*, Zhang Hue2, Sun Liu2, Kim Jeon2, Zheng Li2,3
1State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
2Tianjin University, Tianjin Engineering Center of Micro Nano Biomaterials and Detection Treatment Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 300072, China
3Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Tianjin Medical University, Heping, Tianjin, China
2Tianjin University, Tianjin Engineering Center of Micro Nano Biomaterials and Detection Treatment Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 300072, China
3Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Tianjin Medical University, Heping, Tianjin, China
Lee S, Hue Z, Liu S, Jeon K, Li Z. Evaluation of the Biocompatibility and Cytotoxic Potential of Carbon Dot Nanoparticles Using Controlled In Vitro Studies, Accounts of Biotechnology Research. 2025, Vol. 13 No. 2: 102
Abstract
Cancer continues to be one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, with
conventional chemotherapy often resulting in severe side effects that compromise
patient quality of life. In recent years, nanoparticle-based approaches have gained
attention for their potential to deliver therapeutic agents directly to cancer cells
while minimizing systemic toxicity. Among these, carbon-based nanoparticles,
specifically carbon dots (C-dots), offer significant advantages due to their
biocompatibility and low toxicity compared to metallic nanoparticles, yet their
application in oncology remains relatively underexplored. In this study, carbon
dots were synthesized through a simple one-step wet chemical method using
three carbohydrate precursors: glucose (GCD), sucrose (SCD), and fructose (FCD).
The resulting nanoparticles were characterized using UV-Visible and fluorescence
spectroscopy to confirm their structural and optical properties. The anticancer
potential of these C-dots was evaluated against human liver carcinoma (HepG2)
and human breast carcinoma (MCF-7) cell lines using the MTT assay. The IC₅₀
values determined for HepG2 cells were 67.24 μg/mL for SCD, and less than 50 μg/
mL for both GCD and FCD, while for MCF-7 cells, the IC₅₀ values were 105 μg/mL
for SCD and below 50 μg/mL for GCD and FCD. These findings demonstrate that
C-dots synthesized from different sugar precursors can effectively inhibit cancer
cell growth, highlighting their potential as novel candidates for anticancer drug
development and targeted therapy applications.
conventional chemotherapy often resulting in severe side effects that compromise
patient quality of life. In recent years, nanoparticle-based approaches have gained
attention for their potential to deliver therapeutic agents directly to cancer cells
while minimizing systemic toxicity. Among these, carbon-based nanoparticles,
specifically carbon dots (C-dots), offer significant advantages due to their
biocompatibility and low toxicity compared to metallic nanoparticles, yet their
application in oncology remains relatively underexplored. In this study, carbon
dots were synthesized through a simple one-step wet chemical method using
three carbohydrate precursors: glucose (GCD), sucrose (SCD), and fructose (FCD).
The resulting nanoparticles were characterized using UV-Visible and fluorescence
spectroscopy to confirm their structural and optical properties. The anticancer
potential of these C-dots was evaluated against human liver carcinoma (HepG2)
and human breast carcinoma (MCF-7) cell lines using the MTT assay. The IC₅₀
values determined for HepG2 cells were 67.24 μg/mL for SCD, and less than 50 μg/
mL for both GCD and FCD, while for MCF-7 cells, the IC₅₀ values were 105 μg/mL
for SCD and below 50 μg/mL for GCD and FCD. These findings demonstrate that
C-dots synthesized from different sugar precursors can effectively inhibit cancer
cell growth, highlighting their potential as novel candidates for anticancer drug
development and targeted therapy applications.
Keywords
Carbon dot nanoparticles; Cytotoxicity; Anticancer activity; HepG2; MCF-7; Nanomedicine; SCD; GCD; FCD.