C60 Learning Center

The research done in the Baati study was the first to mix C60 with olive oil. Most of the studies done prior to this were focused on aqueous based C60 mixtures. The Baati study intended to investigate the toxicity of C60 in olive oil. The discovery of rat lifespan longevity was literally by accident. In this section we provide links to the original study and some summary notes on the key findings.

PubMed Link

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og - oral gavage - substance is administered directly into the stomach (down the throat)
ip - Intraperitoneal - injection of a substance into the body cavity
bw - body weight

Chemlali Boughrara olive oil + 99.98% SES C60, mix 2 weeks, centrifuged, 0.25 um filter
50 mg C60 mixed with 10 ml olive oil
a much higher ratio was used to obtain the 0.8 g/L solubility limit

study of chemical substance metabolism from administration to complete elimination from the body

Wistar rats 200-220 g weight
single dose of C60 (4 mg/kg) via ip or og to 2 groups of rats
blood samples drawn at different times
rats sacrificed at 48 hrs, liver/spleen/brain studied


C60 max blood concentrations reached at 4 hrs for ip and 8 hrs for og
blood concentrations higher and elimination rate lower for ip administered group
completely eliminated from blood after 97 hours

absorbed by gastrointestinal tract
absorbed via the mesenteric lymphatic system rather than via portal blood
elimination follows a non-urinary route, not detected in urine

tracking compounds of interest within the body

rats given C60 mix daily for 7 days via ip and og
then sacrificed, blood, urine and organs collected


C60 main accumulation in liver and spleen
significant amount found in brain, confirms that solubilized C60 does cross the blood-brain barrier

Wistar rat life span study

3 groups of 6 rats, 10 months old, weight ~ 460 grams
group 1 - 1 ml dose water, group 2 - 1 ml dose olive oil, group 3 - 1 ml dose C60 olive oil
dosing > daily for 1 week, weekly to end of 2nd month, then every 2 weeks to end of 7 months


dosing was stopped after M15 (after 5 months treatment) after one of the control rats developed a tumor
at M38 (life length = month 38) all control subjects dead, normal life expectancy
median lifespans 22 M for control group, 26 M for olive oil group, 42 M for C60 olive oil group
C60 is more efficient than derivatives, anti-aging effect mainly due to C60 moiety

CCl₄ intoxication

60 rats in 10 groups of 6 rats dosed for 7 days
groups GA(og) GA(ip) 1 ml water, GB(og) GB(ip) GC(og) GC(ip) 1 ml olive oil, GD(og) GD(ip) GE(og) GE(ip) 1 ml C60 olive oil
after 7 days, GA GC GE single dose CCl₄, GB GD used as controls, GA GB GD sacrificed after 24 hrs

GA livers were pale and mottled
GB GD (og) normal liver morphology, darker spleens
GB GD (ip) normal liver morphology, fat deposits observed, livers darker brown, enlarged spleens

figures 5 6 7 (refer to study)
ALT GSSG/TGSH CAT SOD CYP2E1 biomarker measurements
all show higher numbers for the water and olive oil treated CCl₄ injected rats

C60 olive oil protected livers against CCl₄ damage
fewer necrotic areas in ip animals
results suggest protection via free radical scavenging mechanism
C60 must be nano-sized and in solution to be effective