掺杂的碳点(CDs)在癌症治疗方面引起了极大的关注。我们旨在从藏红花中合成铜、氮掺杂的碳点(Cu、N-CDs)，并研究其对人结肠癌HCT-116和HT-29细胞的作用。通过水热法合成CDs，并使用透射电子显微镜(TEM)、能量色散X射线(EDX)、傅里叶变换红外(FT-IR)光谱、紫外-可见吸收光谱(UV-Vis) 和荧光光谱进行表征。将HCT-116和HT-29细胞培养于藏红花、N-CDs和Cu、N-CDs中，进行24和48小时的细胞活力测定。通过免疫荧光显微镜评估细胞摄取和细胞内反应性氧气种类(ROS)，使用Oil Red O染色监测脂质积累。通过乙酸溴苯青等/碘化丙啶(AO/PI)染色和实时荧光定量聚合酶链反应(Q-PCR)进行细胞凋亡评估。通过Q-PCR测量miRNA-182和miRNA-21的表达，通过比色法计算硝酸盐和赖氨酸氧化酶(LOX)活性。成功制备和表征了CDs。治疗细胞的细胞活力随剂量和时间的增加而减少。 HCT-116和HT-29细胞摄取Cu、N-CDs，并生成大量ROS。 Oil Red O染色显示脂质积累。与对照组细胞相比，AO/PI染色显示治疗组细胞凋亡率显著提高(p<0.05)，同时凋亡基因的上调(p<0.05)。与对照组细胞相比，Cu、N-CDs治疗细胞中NO的生成和miRNA-182和miRNA-21的表达显著变化(p<0.05)。结果表明，Cu、N-CDs通过诱导ROS的产生和凋亡作用抑制了结肠癌细胞。版权所有©2023。Elsevier公司出版。

Doped carbon dots (CDs) has attracted tremendous attention in cancer therapy. We aimed to synthesize copper, nitrogen-doped carbon dots (Cu, N-CDs) from saffron and investigated their effects on HCT-116 and HT-29 colorectal cancer (CRC) cells.CDs were synthesized by hydrothermal method and characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy. HCT-116 and HT-29 cells were incubated with saffron, N-CDs, and Cu, N-CDs for 24 and 48 h for cell viability. Cellular uptake and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were evaluated by immunofluorescence microscopy. Oil Red O staining was used to monitor lipid accumulation. Apoptosis was evaluated using acridine orange/propidium iodide (AO/PI) staining and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) assay. The expression of miRNA-182 and miRNA-21 was measured by Q-PCR, while the generation of nitric oxide (NO) and lysyl oxidase (LOX) activity was calculated by colorimetric methods.CDs were successfully prepared and characterized. Cell viability decreased in the treated cells dose- and time-dependently. HCT-116 and HT-29 cells uptook Cu, N-CDs with a high level of ROS generation. The Oil Red O staining showed lipid accumulation. Concomitant with an up-regulation of apoptotic genes (p < 0.05), AO/PI staining showed increased apoptosis in the treated cells. In comparison to control cells, NO generation, and miRNA-182 and miRNA-21 expression significantly changed in the Cu, N-CDs treated cells (p < 0.05).The results indicated that Cu, N-CDs could inhibit CRC cells through the induction of ROS generation and apoptosis.Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.