A Simple Route to the Complexation of Lutein with Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanocarriers and Antioxidant Protection Against Blue Light

BACKGROUND: The excellent physicochemical properties of graphene-based materials, including graphene oxide (GO) and reduced GO (rGO), offer significant technological potential as multifunctional nanomaterials in biomedical fields. Lutein is a type of carotenoid that forms human macular pigments in the retina, where it inhibits harmful blue light and contributes to the strengthening of the antioxidant defense of retinal pigment epithelium cells. METHODS: Synthesis of the Lutein-rGO (Lu–rGO) complex was carried out for the optimized concentration. Then characterization of material was analyzed through ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer (UV-Vis spectra), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Antioxidant activity of Lu–rGO complex was measured by 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), 2.2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), glutathione (GSH) oxidation assay. Then, oxidative stress induction by blue light and analyzed intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Based on the FT-IR measurement, the reduction efficiency defined by area was found to be 87.3%, the I(D)/I(G) ratio of 0.98 demonstrated by the Lu–rGO complex in the Raman spectrum was slightly higher than that of the original GO. The exhibited significant decrease in the peak intensities of the oxygen functional groups of the XPS spectra of the Lu–rGO complex was observed compared with the GO. In the TEM image for the Lu–rGO complex, folded and wrinkled nanostructures over the lutein-covered rGO surface were evidenced by tight molecular binding. The Lu–rGO complex provided superior DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity than GO and lutein alone, and the oxidation of GSH was suppressed. It was confirmed that the content of intracellular ROS and lysosomes, increased by blue light, was reduced after treatment with the Lu–rGO complex on ARPE-19 cells. In summary, graphene-based nanocarriers could function as preventative antioxidants during photochemical ROS generation based on the mechanism of antioxidant action.