Discovery: Leveraging Coffee Grounds as a Potential Breakthrough in Treating Neurodegenerative Conditions
Discovery: Leveraging Coffee Grounds as a Potential Breakthrough in Treating Neurodegenerative Conditions
Summary: Utilizing Carbon Quantum Dots (CACQDs) derived from discarded coffee grounds, researchers have uncovered their capacity to shield brain cells against damage linked to neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
The neuroprotective effects of CACQDs were evident across various models, even in Parkinson’s induced by pesticide exposure. These quantum dots possess the potential to target the root causes of neurodegenerative diseases, going beyond mere symptom management.
What makes this approach remarkable is its environmentally friendly extraction process, ensuring economic viability and sustainability.
Key Points:
CACQDs derived from coffee grounds exhibit neuroprotective properties against neurodegenerative diseases.
They demonstrate the ability to eliminate free radicals and inhibit the aggregation of amyloid protein fragments.
The extraction process is environmentally friendly and cost-effective.
Source: UT El Paso
Neurodegenerative disorders—such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s—affect millions in the US, with care costs totaling hundreds of billions annually.
Researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso may have found a solution in discarded coffee grounds, a material widely discarded worldwide.
Led by Jyotish Kumar and supervised by Mahesh Narayan, the team discovered that caffeic-acid based Carbon Quantum Dots (CACQDs), extracted from used coffee grounds, hold potential in shielding brain cells from damage caused by various neurodegenerative diseases triggered by factors like obesity, age, and exposure to pesticides and toxic chemicals. Their findings were detailed in the November issue of the journal Environmental Research.
Kumar expressed, “Caffeic-acid based Carbon Quantum Dots could be transformative in treating neurodegenerative disorders.”
The focus here is on finding a cure, addressing the fundamental atomic and molecular aspects that drive these conditions, unlike existing treatments that merely manage symptoms.
Neurodegenerative diseases involve the loss of neurons, impacting basic functions such as movement, speech, as well as more complex tasks like bladder control, cognition, and bowel functions.
These disorders, especially in their early stages induced by lifestyle or environmental factors, share common traits. Elevated levels of free radicals and the accumulation of amyloid-forming protein fragments leading to brain plaques or fibrils are observed.
Through experiments spanning test tubes, cell lines, and models of Parkinson’s induced by paraquat, Kumar’s team observed the neuroprotective effects of CACQDs. These quantum dots effectively eliminated or prevented damage caused by free radicals and halted the aggregation of amyloid protein fragments without notable side effects.
The team speculates that at an early disease stage, a CACQD-based treatment could be effective in preventing full-blown neurodegenerative diseases.
Narayan highlighted the importance of addressing these disorders before they progress to clinical stages when intervention becomes challenging. He emphasized the aim to devise a solution affordable for most patients.
Caffeic acid, part of the polyphenol compound family known for antioxidant properties, can traverse the blood-brain barrier, making it effective in brain cell action, Narayan explained.
The extraction process for CACQDs from used coffee grounds is termed "green chemistry," signifying its eco-friendliness. The team subjects coffee grounds to a 200-degree "cooking" process for four hours, reconfiguring caffeic acid's carbon structure to form CACQDs. The abundance of coffee grounds makes this method both economically viable and sustainable.
The research received support from a National Institutes of Health grant. Numerous graduate and undergraduate UTEP students, including Sofia Delgado, formerly at UTEP and now pursuing a Ph.D. at Yale University, contributed to the project under Narayan’s guidance.
Further funding is sought for continued testing.
Narayan and Kumar acknowledge that the journey towards a solution is ongoing, but they remain committed, aiming for a medication—possibly a pill—that could prevent a significant majority of non-genetic neurodegenerative disorders.
Source: UT El Paso
