Chinese Medicine Carbon Dots, as an innovative achievement integrating nanotechnology and traditional Chinese medicine in recent years, exhibit unique advantages such as high efficiency, excellent water solubility, and outstanding biocompatibility, demonstrating significant potential in clinical therapy and other areas. This study utilized traditional Chinese herbs Eclipta prostrata L. and Ligustrum lucidum Ait. as precursors to synthesize Eclipta-Ligustrum carbon dots (EL-CDs) via a solvothermal method, exploring their potential as a novel agent for the prevention and treatment of breast cancer. Initially, the carbon dots were characterized using fluorescence spectroscopy and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption spectroscopy, confirming that EL-CDs possess favorable optical properties. The synthesis conditions were optimized to identify the optimal reaction parameters. To further investigate the characteristics of the carbon dots, mouse breast cancer 4T1 cells were used as the model system. Cellular imaging techniques demonstrated that EL-CDs can be effectively applied for cell imaging. MTT assays indicated that EL-CDs exert cytotoxic effects on 4T1 cells, while scratch assays revealed their ability to inhibit the migration of 4T1 cells. The changes in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in 4T1 cells were detected using DCFH-DA staining combined with inverted fluorescence microscopy. Compared to the control group, the EL-CDs treatment group showed a significant increase in ROS expression in a dose-dependent manner. To evaluate the in vivo imaging potential of EL-CDs, both in vivo and ex vivo organ imaging in mice demonstrated their excellent fluorescence properties. Furthermore, EL-CDs exhibited certain antitumor effects without significantly affecting the body weight or growth of the mice during treatment. In summary, EL-CDs possess good biocompatibility, remarkable fluorescence properties, and certain antitumor efficacy, offering a new strategy for breast cancer treatment and holding potential value for clinical translation. This experiment was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (No: SDUTCM20240304213).
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |