Radiation-assisted reduction of graphene oxide by aloe vera and ginger and their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory roles against male mice liver injury induced by gamma radiation

Abstract

A novel method for graphene oxide (GO) reduction using γ-rays in the presence of natural antioxidants is revealed to be a promising eco-friendly and safe approach for producing reduced graphene oxide (RGO) biocomposites for medical applications. Natural antioxidants are used as scavengers of oxidative free radicals to avoid the further oxidation of GO suspensions under irradiation, instead of alcohol, which is usually used during the γ-reduction of GO. The study of GO reduction using γ-rays in the presence of ginger (GRGO), aloe vera (ARGO), and aloe vera/ginger (AGRGO) as natural antioxidants was carried out using various characterization techniques. FTIR techniques confirmed the removal of most oxygen functional groups from GO after the different reduction procedures. The XPS results revealed increased C/O ratios in GRGO, ARGO, and AGRGO compared to GO. Furthermore, the effects of reduction on the structural and morphological properties of reduced samples were studied via XRD, Raman spectroscopy, FESEM, and HRTEM analysis. Also, the antioxidant/anti-inflammatory effects upon the use of GRGO, ARGO, and AGRGO against hepatic injury induced by γ-irradiation are studied. GRGO, ARGO, and AGRGO modulated the serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interferon-γ (INF-γ) and the levels of GSH and MDA in liver tissue injured by γ-irradiation. The histopathological analysis findings from liver tissue were consistent with those noted upon molecular biochemical inspection, especially in relation to oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers. Furthermore, these findings suggest that ARGO, GRGO, and AGRGO may be beneficial for combating hepatic injury induced by γ-rays via reducing oxidative stress and modulating inflammation.