Oral Active Carbon Quantum Dots for Diabetes

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Materials Science
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Metformin (Met) is a key oral anti-diabetic drug for type II diabetes.
• Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) offer enhanced bioavailability, penetrability, and low cytotoxicity.
• Metformin carbon quantum dots (MetCQDs) were synthesized to improve metformin's therapeutic profile.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize MetCQDs from an active molecule using microwave-assisted methods.
• To characterize the synthesized MetCQDs.
• To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of MetCQDs in a rat model of diabetes.

Main Methods:

• Microwave-assisted synthesis of MetCQDs.
• Characterization including particle size, zeta potential, and quantum yield determination.
• In vivo efficacy study in Streptozocin-induced diabetic Wistar albino rats.

Main Results:

• MetCQDs exhibited a particle size of 9.02 ± 0.04 nm and a quantum yield of 15.1 ± 0.045%.
• MetCQDs demonstrated significant blood glucose reduction (34.1-51.1%) in diabetic rats.
• Histopathological analysis revealed improved liver health indicators in the MetCQD-treated group.

Conclusions:

• MetCQDs show enhanced therapeutic potential for diabetes management.
• The novel MetCQD formulation may offer increased efficacy and potentially reduced side effects.
• These findings suggest a promising new avenue for anti-diabetic drug delivery systems.