Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 14, 2026
Preparation and Photoacoustic Analysis of Cellular Vehicles Containing Gold Nanorods
Published on: May 2, 2016
AuAg-Carbon-Based Quantum Dot Nanocomposites to Reduce Andrographolide's Hydrophobicity and Drug Internalization
Nataniel Medina-Berríos1,2, Alondra Veloz-Bonilla2,3, Sebastián C Díaz-Vélez1,2
1Department of Chemistry, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, PR 00925, USA.
Abstract:
Hydrophobicity has limited the efficiency of many drugs. To improve this, gold-silver alloy nanocomposites covered with carbon-based quantum dots were synthesized as a platform to reduce the drugs' hydrophobicity. Using the hydrophobic drug Andrographolide as a model, it was demonstrated that these nanocomposites can decrease Andrographolide's hydrophobicity (Log P from 2.632 to 0.56) without encapsulating the drug. Entry within prostate cancer (PC-3) cells and in vitro localization of the nanocomposites and Andrographolide was observed qualitatively via confocal microscopy and their identity confirmed by SERS inside the PC-3 cells. MTS assays demonstrated the carbon-based quantum dot layer covering the metal core of the nanocomposites stabilizes the oxidation rate of the nanocomposite's core metals. This was observed by a decrease in cytotoxicity in PC-3 cells when compared to other gold or silver nanosystems for similar timeframes published in the literature.
