Singh Vikram, Rawat Kundan S, Mishra Shachi, Baghel Tanvi, Fatima Soobiya, John Aijaz A, Kalleti Navodayam, Singh Divya, Nazir Aamir, Rath Srikanta K, Goel Atul
Fluorescent Chemistry Lab, Medicinal and Process Chemistry Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031, India.
J Mater Chem B. 2018 May 28;6(20):3366-3371. doi: 10.1039/c8tb00503f. Epub 2018 May 11.
Luminescent carbon quantum dots (CQDs) prepared from aqueous beetroot extract were developed as unique fluorescent nanomaterials for in vivo live animal imaging applications. Blue (B) and green (G) emitting environmentally benign CQDs (particle size of 5 nm and 8 nm, respectively) exhibited bright fluorescence in aqueous medium and were found to be biocompatible, photostable and non-toxic in animal models. The in vivo imaging and toxicity evaluation of both CQDs were performed for the first time in the Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) model, which revealed consistent fluorescence in the gut tissues of the worms without exerting any sign of toxic effects on the nematodes. The in vivo bio-distribution of G-CQDs given by tail vein injection in live BALB/c mice showed optical signals in the lower abdominal regions, mainly in the intestine, and cleared from the body through faeces. The tremendous potential shown by these eco-friendly CQDs in the C. elegans and mice models advocates new hopes for greener CQD nanomaterials as diagnostic tools in the biomedical field.
由甜菜根水提取物制备的发光碳量子点（CQDs）被开发为用于体内活体动物成像应用的独特荧光纳米材料。发射蓝色（B）和绿色（G）光的环境友好型CQDs（粒径分别为5纳米和8纳米）在水性介质中表现出明亮的荧光，并且在动物模型中被发现具有生物相容性、光稳定性且无毒。两种CQDs的体内成像和毒性评估首次在秀丽隐杆线虫（C. elegans）模型中进行，结果显示线虫肠道组织中荧光一致，且对线虫未产生任何毒性作用迹象。通过尾静脉注射给予活的BALB/c小鼠的G-CQDs的体内生物分布显示，在下腹部区域有光学信号，主要在肠道，并且通过粪便从体内清除。这些环保型CQDs在秀丽隐杆线虫和小鼠模型中显示出的巨大潜力为更绿色的CQD纳米材料作为生物医学领域的诊断工具带来了新希望。
