This image shows a size comparison in nanometres of a football, human hair and quantum dots, which are less than 10 nanometres. Credit: S Pitchaimuthu, Swansea University
Scientists may have found yet another health benefit from tea, as a tea leaf extract nanoparticle has shown promise combating lung cancer cells.
Researchers from Swansea University, Rangasamy College of Technology and Bharathiar University have discovered that quantum dots produced from tea leaves inhibit the growth of lung cancer cells, ultimately destroying up to 80 percent of them
Quantum dots are tiny particles that measure less than 10 nanometers, which have shown to be beneficial in several fields including healthcare, computers, solar cells and tumor imaging.
The researchers mixed tea leaf extracts with cadmium sulphate (CdSO₄) and sodium sulphide (Na₂S) and allowed the solution to incubate, causing the quantum dots to form. The researchers then applied the dots to lung cancer cells.
“Our research confirmed previous evidence that tea leaf extract can be a non-toxic alternative to making quantum dots using chemicals,” Sudhagar Pitchaimuthu, PhD, of Swansea University, lead researcher on the project, and a Ser Cymru-II Rising Star Fellow, said in a statement. “The real surprise, however, was that the dots actively inhibited the growth of the lung cancer cells. We hadn’t been expecting this.
“The CdS quantum dots derived from tea leaf extract showed exceptional fluorescence emission in cancer cell bioimaging compared to conventional CdS nanoparticles. Quantum dots are therefore a very promising avenue to explore for developing new cancer treatments. “They also have other possible applications, for example in anti-microbial paint used in operating theatres, or in sun creams,” he added.
Quantum dots are primarily made chemically in a complicated and expensive process that yields toxic side effects. The researchers used tea leaf extract to produce the dots in a non-toxic plant-based alternative method.
The researchers now plan to scale up their discovery.
“Building on this exciting discovery, the next step is to scale up our operation, hopefully with the help of other collaborators,” Pitchaimuthu said. “We want to investigate the role of tea leaf extract in cancer cell imaging, and the interface between quantum dots and the cancer cell. We would like to set up a ‘quantum dot factory’ which will allow us to explore more fully the ways in which they can be used.”
The study was published in Applied Nano Materials.
