Glycyrrhizic Acid-Based Carbonized Dots Boost Antiviral Activity against Influenza A Virus via Multisite Inhibition Mechanisms

Abstract

Influenza A virus (IVA) has been continuously causing pandemics in several animal hosts and has become a worldwide public health threat. Currently, antiviral drugs have become associated with a lot of side effects and limited activity against emerging drug-resistant influenza viruses. Therefore, the development of novel antiviral drugs is of great importance. In this study, we synthesized a kind of carbon dots (CDs) with high dispersibility from glycyrrhizic acid (GA) using a simple dry heating method. Compared with glycyrrhizic acid alone, GA-CDs exhibit superior solubility and significantly improve the antiviral property against IVA. Investigation of the mechanism revealed that GA-CDs act against IVA mainly by inhibiting viral internalization, replication of the viral genome, neuraminidase activity, and host inflammatory responses. More importantly, in a mouse model, GA-CDs can significantly alleviate the clinical symptoms and decrease mortality and lung viral titers. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrate that GA-CDs possess extraordinary therapeutic effects; therefore, we propose that GA-CDs may be a promising alternative therapy for IVA infection.

The State-of-the-Art Antibacterial Activities of Glycyrrhizin: A Comprehensive Review

“…Concurrently, GLY exhibits promising therapeutic efficacy in various conditions, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). T2DM, a leading cause of global mortality, is characterized by hyperglycemia, chronic insulin resistance, and β-cell dysfunction, constituting a chronic metabolic disorder with progressive deterioration in cellular function and insulin secretion [ 27 ]. While T2DM remains incurable, its management focuses on glycemic control and symptom alleviation, albeit often accompanied by noticeable drug-related side effects.…”

Natural biomass-derived carbon dots as a potent solubilizer with high biocompatibility and enhanced antioxidant activity

“…The C 1s spectrum of AFI-CDs consisted of three surface components manifesting at 284.80, 286.30, 281.02, and 288.39 eV, corresponding to C=C/C≡C, C-O/C-N, C=C, and C=O, respectively (Tong et al, 2020). The distinctive binding energy spectrum of C=C/C≡C and C-C indicated the amorphous character of AFI-CDs with a carbon core comprising both sp 2 and sp 3 C orbitals (Li et al, 2023). The core level spectrum of O 1s in the top exhibited two components with binding energies at 532.73 and 533.87 eV, attributed to C=O and C-OH bonds (Liang P. et al, 2023).…”

Enhanced in vivo antiviral activity against pseudorabies virus through transforming gallic acid into graphene quantum dots with stimulation of interferon-related immune responses

“…25 Glycyrrhizic-acid-based carbon dots also exhibit antiviral activity against influenza A virus. 26 Although several studies report the antiviral activity of CDs, the specific antiviral mechanisms require further investigation.…”