Synthesis of carbon dots using wild Citrullus lanatus var citroides for drug delivery applications
Nanomaterials are widely explored in the various fields such as medicine and biomedical engineering, catalysis and environmental pollution detection. Research in nanotechnology has led to the discovery of fluorescent carbon dots (CDs), which are biocompatible, resistant to photobleaching and have hi...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | Results in Chemistry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211715625003959 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849340806377242624 |
|---|---|
| author | Ketumile Ishmael Magowe Pogisego Dinake Lesedi Lebogang |
| author_facet | Ketumile Ishmael Magowe Pogisego Dinake Lesedi Lebogang |
| author_sort | Ketumile Ishmael Magowe |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Nanomaterials are widely explored in the various fields such as medicine and biomedical engineering, catalysis and environmental pollution detection. Research in nanotechnology has led to the discovery of fluorescent carbon dots (CDs), which are biocompatible, resistant to photobleaching and have high fluorescence intensity compared to traditional fluorescent probes. CDs may be synthesized from cheap carbon material and herein, this study reports an economical and environmentally friendly hydrothermal synthesis of CDs using wild melon (Citrullus lanatus var citroides) peels. The as-prepared CDs were spherical with an amorphous structure and possessed an average size of 1.2 nm. The CDs were also successfully used for bacterial cell labelling of E. coli and S. aureus, which indicated that the CDs were able to attach and possibly penetrate the cells. The interaction of bacterial cells with CDs resulted in fluorescence increase of the cells. Finally, AMP-Na was successfully conjugated to the as-prepared CDs and the conjugate (AMP-Na/CDs) exhibited enhanced antibacterial activity compared to bare CDs and bare AMPNa. The conjugate showed capability of bacterial inhibition for both Gram-positive (S. aureus) and Gram-negative (E. coli, P. aeruginosa) as well as AMP-Na resistant P. aeruginosa, where in all cases the conjugate showed substantial zones of inhibition. For this study, fluorescing CDs with good physicochemical properties, excellent bacteria labelling, and as antibacterial conjugate were successfully synthesized. Antibiotic-conjugated CDs could be used as more efficient, targeted antimicrobial drug delivery systems. Biological applications of CDs should also be extended to use in vivo in animal models as an imaging entity. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bf0c7e66e5fa4374be8e372bf36d098c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2211-7156 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Results in Chemistry |
| spelling | doaj-art-bf0c7e66e5fa4374be8e372bf36d098c2025-08-20T03:43:47ZengElsevierResults in Chemistry2211-71562025-07-011610241210.1016/j.rechem.2025.102412Synthesis of carbon dots using wild Citrullus lanatus var citroides for drug delivery applicationsKetumile Ishmael Magowe0Pogisego Dinake1Lesedi Lebogang2Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Botswana International University of Science and Technology, BIUST, Plot 10071, Boseja-Khurumela, Private Bag, 16, Palapye, Botswana.Department of Chemical and Forensic Sciences, Botswana International University of Science and Technology, BIUST, Plot 10071, Boseja-Khurumela Private Bag, 16, Palapye, Botswana.; Corresponding author.Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Botswana International University of Science and Technology, BIUST, Plot 10071, Boseja-Khurumela, Private Bag, 16, Palapye, Botswana.Nanomaterials are widely explored in the various fields such as medicine and biomedical engineering, catalysis and environmental pollution detection. Research in nanotechnology has led to the discovery of fluorescent carbon dots (CDs), which are biocompatible, resistant to photobleaching and have high fluorescence intensity compared to traditional fluorescent probes. CDs may be synthesized from cheap carbon material and herein, this study reports an economical and environmentally friendly hydrothermal synthesis of CDs using wild melon (Citrullus lanatus var citroides) peels. The as-prepared CDs were spherical with an amorphous structure and possessed an average size of 1.2 nm. The CDs were also successfully used for bacterial cell labelling of E. coli and S. aureus, which indicated that the CDs were able to attach and possibly penetrate the cells. The interaction of bacterial cells with CDs resulted in fluorescence increase of the cells. Finally, AMP-Na was successfully conjugated to the as-prepared CDs and the conjugate (AMP-Na/CDs) exhibited enhanced antibacterial activity compared to bare CDs and bare AMPNa. The conjugate showed capability of bacterial inhibition for both Gram-positive (S. aureus) and Gram-negative (E. coli, P. aeruginosa) as well as AMP-Na resistant P. aeruginosa, where in all cases the conjugate showed substantial zones of inhibition. For this study, fluorescing CDs with good physicochemical properties, excellent bacteria labelling, and as antibacterial conjugate were successfully synthesized. Antibiotic-conjugated CDs could be used as more efficient, targeted antimicrobial drug delivery systems. Biological applications of CDs should also be extended to use in vivo in animal models as an imaging entity.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211715625003959Wild melonCarbon dotsFluorescenceAntibacterial activityBiomass |
| spellingShingle | Ketumile Ishmael Magowe Pogisego Dinake Lesedi Lebogang Synthesis of carbon dots using wild Citrullus lanatus var citroides for drug delivery applications Results in Chemistry Wild melon Carbon dots Fluorescence Antibacterial activity Biomass |
| title | Synthesis of carbon dots using wild Citrullus lanatus var citroides for drug delivery applications |
| title_full | Synthesis of carbon dots using wild Citrullus lanatus var citroides for drug delivery applications |
| title_fullStr | Synthesis of carbon dots using wild Citrullus lanatus var citroides for drug delivery applications |
| title_full_unstemmed | Synthesis of carbon dots using wild Citrullus lanatus var citroides for drug delivery applications |
| title_short | Synthesis of carbon dots using wild Citrullus lanatus var citroides for drug delivery applications |
| title_sort | synthesis of carbon dots using wild citrullus lanatus var citroides for drug delivery applications |
| topic | Wild melon Carbon dots Fluorescence Antibacterial activity Biomass |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211715625003959 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ketumileishmaelmagowe synthesisofcarbondotsusingwildcitrulluslanatusvarcitroidesfordrugdeliveryapplications AT pogisegodinake synthesisofcarbondotsusingwildcitrulluslanatusvarcitroidesfordrugdeliveryapplications AT lesedilebogang synthesisofcarbondotsusingwildcitrulluslanatusvarcitroidesfordrugdeliveryapplications |