Development of carbon-based quantum dot-decorated Au-Ag nanoparticles as multi-functional anti-cancer agents: Drug hydrophilicity improvement and in vitro drug delivery tracking

Abstract

Carbon-based quantum dots (CBQDs), sulfur-doped carbon-based quantum dots (S- CBQDs), and nitrogen-doped carbon-based quantum dots (N-CBQDs) and their AuAg nanocomposites have strong potential for drug delivery platforms. They were coupled with Andrographolide (ADG), a well-known hydrophobic drug, to study the associated changes in hydrophilicity. The interactions between these nanomaterials and the drug were studied by characterizing the optical and structural properties of the nanoparticles before and after coupling with the drug. It was found that the interaction of the drug with these nanomaterials produced noticeable changes in their optical and structural properties. Moreover, the partition coefficient for the nanocomposites was determined by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). The results indicate that conjugating the drug with the nanoparticles significantly enhanced its affinity for the aqueous phase, thereby opening the possibility of using this approach for developing an effective drug delivery platform for this hydrophobic drug. Entry within prostate cancer (PC-3) cells and in vitro localization of the nanocomposites and Andrographolide was observed via confocal microscopy and their identity confirmed by Surface enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) inside the PC-3 cells.