Testing of black-carrots-derived fluorescence imaging and anti-metastatic potential

• DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2023.137245
• Publication Date: 2023-12-05T07:38:44Z
• Authors: Manuel Algarra; Celia Carrillo; Maja D. Nešić; Jelena Filipović ...; Jelena Žakula; Lela Korićanac; José Jiménez-Jiménez; Enrique Rodriguez...; Teresa J. Bandosz; Marijana Petković; Juan Soto
• Keywords: Biocompatibility

Authors thank to Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MCIN/ AEI/10.13039/501100011033) though the projects PID2021- 122613OB-I00 and PID2021-126235OB-C32 and P18-RT-4592 of Junta de Andalucía and FEDER funds, and the Ministry of Science, Technological Development, and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia (grant 451-03-47/2023-01/200017).<br/>This paper explains the basis for the excitation energy-independent fluorescence emission of biomass-derived carbon dots (CDs) and shows that these CDs have excellent anti-melanoma and anti-metastatic potential. Additionally, we demonstrate that the black carrots´-derived CDs can be exploited as cell cycle-sensing agents, because of the interaction with chromatin material. Besides their optical properties, fluorescent CDs have gained increased attention for image-guided cancer treatment due to their water solubility, environmental friendliness, affordability, ease of synthesis, and primary biocompatibility. CDs have excellent photostability, determined by their precursors and synthesis pathways. In this study, CDs with chemically homogenous surface functional groups were made using a hydrothermal technique from black carrot extract, an anthocyanin-rich substance derived from biomass. The anti-cancer and anti-metastatic properties of black carrot-derived CDs can be attributed to flavylium cations on the surface, spherical forms, and high water dispersibility. Most importantly, these CDs demonstrate a stable emission at a single wavelength, 612 nm, independent of the excitation energy, which we have explained theoretically for the first time.<br/>