Green Synthesis of Zingiberis Rhizoma-Based Carbon Dots Attenuates Chemical and Thermal Stimulus Pain in Mice

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the analgesic activity of Zingiberis rhizoma-based carbon dots (ZR-CDs). Materials & methods: Novel ZR-CDs were prepared via a facile, green pyrolysis method. Microstructure, optical and functional group properties were characterized. Acetic acid writhing, hot-plate and tail-immersion tests were performed using mice to evaluate the analgesic activity of ZR-CDs, followed by a preliminary study on the analgesic mechanism. Results: ZR-CDs with a quantum yield of 5.2% had a diameter ranging from 2.23 to 3.77 nm. Remarkable analgesic effect of ZR-CDs was observed against both thermal and chemical stimulus tests, possibly mediated by an opioid-like mechanism and the regulation of 5-hydroxytryptamine levels. Conclusion: ZR-CDs have a promising potential for biomedical application in relieving pain-related diseases.

Keywords::

• analgesic activity
• opioid system
• Zingiberis rhizoma-carbon dots
• 5-hydroxytryptamine

Supplementary data

To view the supplementary data that accompany this paper please visit the journals website at: www.tandfonline.com/doi/suppl/10.2217/nnm-2019-0369

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation (grant number 81573573) and the Classical Prescription Basic Research Team of the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (2019-JYB-TD-001). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

This study was performed under the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and was approved by the Committee of Ethics of Animal Experimentation of the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all animal experimental investigations.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation (grant number 81573573) and the Classical Prescription Basic Research Team of the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (2019-JYB-TD-001). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.