Preparation of Green Synthesized Carbon Dots Loaded Curcumin Bioactive Hydrogel Scaffold with High Antibacterial and Cytocompatibility Properties
Prasanna Kumar Prabhakaran, Sesuraj Balasamy, Nandana S. Krishnan, Ashok K. Sundramoorthyintroduction:
Bioactive hydrogels have gained greater attention as tissue regeneration scaffolds due to facile integration of bio-functional nanomaterials and bioactive agents enhancing stability, cellular attachment, and controlled biomolecule release.
materials and methods:
In this study, a composite hydrogel (CPCC) loaded with carbon dots (CDs) synthesized from red Indian guava leaves and curcumin was developed using a biopolymer matrix.
results:
UV–Vis spectroscopy confirmed the graphitic nature of CDs, while FTIR spectra confirmed the interactions between functional groups. XRD analysis revealed characteristic peaks at 19.36°, 23.55°, and 26.36°, showing a semi-crystalline structure. FESEM analysis showed a suitable morphology with uniform CD and curcumin dispersion in the biopolymer matrix, while EDX and elemental mapping confirmed the homogeneous distribution of C, N, O, and P elements.
discussion:
The hydrogel exhibited concentration dependent antibacterial activity against Streptococcus mutans and Enterococcus faecalis. Cytocompatibility studies using human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) demonstrated high cell viability (>83%), with normal morphology and strong cell adhesion, confirming its biocompatibility.
conclusion:
These findings suggest that the CPCC hydrogel possesses desirable properties suitable for oral and maxillofacial tissue engineering. Further in-vitro and in-vivo studies are required to validate its osteogenic efficacy, degradation kinetics, and optimized mechanical and therapeutic performance for clinical translation.