Curcumin-derived water-soluble carbon dots without detectable resistance: Dual potentials for antimicrobial activity and infected wound healing

Due to the abuse of traditional antibiotics, the increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance poses a significant challenge to the finding of novel antimicrobial materials. Curcumin, a natural polyphenolic compound, exhibits broad-spectrum antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. However, its therapeutic utility is limited by its bioavailability. To improve the biological activity of curcumin, the highly water-soluble carbon dots ( E -CDs) were synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal method using curcumin and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt (Na 2 EDTA) as precursors. It was shown that the surfaces of E -CDs still remain the structural and functional groups of their precursors. The as-obtained E -CDs exhibited a higher antimicrobial efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ) and Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of only 40 and 150 ppm, respectively. Strikingly, the E -CDs did not induce significant bacterial resistance while exhibiting excellent biocompatibility. In a mouse model of bacterial-induced wound infection, the wound closure had approached 60 % within just four days, highlighting their significant potential for accelerating wound healing. Our experimental results convincingly demonstrated that the E -CDs are a promising candidate for clinical applications in treating infected wounds and combating drug-resistant bacterial infections.