Bilirubin detoxification using different phytomaterials: characterization and in vitro studies

• Published in: International journal of nanomedicine Vol. 13; pp. 2997 - 3010
• Main Authors: Mathew, Betty Titus, Raji, Shaima, Dagher, Sawsan, Hilal-Alnaqbi, Ali, Mourad, Abdel-Hamid Ismail, Al-Zuhair, Sulaiman, Al Ahmad, Mahmoud, El-Tarabily, Khaled Abbas, Amin, Amr
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Zealand Dove Medical Press Limited 01.01.2018; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Dove Medical Press
• Subjects: 3D and 2D cultures; Activated carbon; Adsorbents; Adsorption; Albumins - chemistry; Algae; Bilirubin; Bilirubin - chemistry; Bilirubin - pharmacokinetics; Bilirubin - toxicity; Biological products; Cancer; Cell culture; Cell Line; Charcoal - chemistry; Collagen; Cytotoxicity; Disease; Hep G2 Cells; Humans; In vitro analysis; Inactivation, Metabolic; Liver; Liver - cytology; Liver cancer; Liver, Artificial; Magnoliopsida - chemistry; Microscopy; Novels; Original Research; Patients; Phoeniceae - chemistry; Phytomaterials; Protein binding; Raw materials; Scenedesmus - chemistry; Seeds; Seeds - chemistry; Stem cell research; Studies; Toxins; Transplants & implants; Cairo Egypt; Egypt; United Arab Emirates; adsorption; in vitro analysis; 3D cultures; activated carbon; phytomaterials; 2D cultures; cytotoxicity
• DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S160968
• ISSN: 1178-2013; 1176-9114

Activated carbon (AC) is a common adsorbent that is used in both artificial and bioartificial liver devices. Three natural materials - date pits of (fruit), (jojoba) seeds, and spp. (microalgae) - were used in the present investigation as precursors for the synthesis of AC using physical activation. The chemical structures and morphology of AC were analyzed. Then, AC's bilirubin adsorption capacity and its cytotoxicity on normal liver (THLE2) and liver cancer (HepG2) cells were characterized. Compared with the other raw materials examined, date-pit AC was highly selective and showed the most effective capacity of bilirubin adsorption, as judged by isotherm-modeling analysis. MTT in vitro analysis indicated that date-pit AC had the least effect on the viability of both THLE2 and HepG2 cells compared to jojoba seeds and microalgae. All three biomaterials under investigation were used, along with collagen and Matrigel, to grow cells in 3D culture. Fluorescent microscopy confirmed date-pit AC as the best to preserve liver cell integrity. The findings of this study introduce date-pit-based AC as a novel alternative biomaterial for the removal of protein-bound toxins in bioartificial liver devices.