School of Biomedical Engineering (Suzhou), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Biomedical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Science (CAS), Suzhou, 215163, China.
CAS Key Laboratory of Biomedical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Science (CAS), Suzhou, 215163, China.
Talanta. 2025 Jan 1;281:126926. doi: 10.1016/j.talanta.2024.126926. Epub 2024 Sep 19.
Bacterial infections have become a major global public health issue, particularly with the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains. Therefore, developing non-antibiotic antimicrobial agents is crucial for treating drug-resistant bacterial infections. Building on previous research into natural products as novel antibacterial agents, this study synthesized curcumin-derived carbon dots using curcumin and ethylenediamine as raw materials through a hydrothermal method. The resulting carbon dots not only improved the water solubility and stability of curcumin but also exhibited highly efficient broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. Detailed investigations into the antibacterial performance and mechanisms of the carbon dots were conducted through experiments such as minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination, live/dead bacterial staining, morphological studies, nucleic acid concentration detection, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) detection. The results indicated that the carbon dots significantly damaged the structural integrity of bacteria and generated large amounts of ROS. They exhibited remarkable antibacterial effects against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus, and effectively inhibited drug-resistant MRSA. Their antibacterial efficacy was notably superior to that of broad-spectrum antibiotics such as chloramphenicol and Sulfadiazine. This study highlights the potential application of curcumin-derived carbon dots in combating bacterial infections and provides valuable insights for developing novel antibacterial agents derived from natural products.
细菌感染已成为一个主要的全球公共卫生问题，特别是出现了多药耐药菌株。因此，开发非抗生素类抗菌剂对于治疗耐药性细菌感染至关重要。本研究基于对天然产物作为新型抗菌剂的先前研究，使用姜黄素和乙二胺作为原料，通过水热法合成了姜黄素衍生的碳点。所得碳点不仅提高了姜黄素的水溶性和稳定性，而且表现出高效广谱的抗菌活性。通过最低抑菌浓度（MIC）测定、活菌/死菌染色、形态学研究、核酸浓度检测和活性氧（ROS）检测等实验，对碳点的抗菌性能和机制进行了详细研究。结果表明，碳点显著破坏了细菌的结构完整性并产生大量的 ROS。它们对大肠杆菌、铜绿假单胞菌和金黄色葡萄球菌表现出显著的抗菌作用，并有效抑制了耐药性 MRSA。它们的抗菌效果明显优于广谱抗生素如氯霉素和磺胺嘧啶。本研究强调了姜黄素衍生碳点在对抗细菌感染方面的潜在应用，并为开发源自天然产物的新型抗菌剂提供了有价值的见解。
