Document Type : Original Article

Authors

• Negar Nikfarjam ¹
• Roghayieh Razavi ²
• Mehran Moradi ²
• Rahim Molaei ³

¹ Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

² Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University

³ Materials Synthesis Laboratory, Carbon Tech Industrial Group, Carbon Tech, Urmia, Iran

Abstract

Despite the relatively short history of the discovery of carbon dots (C-dots) and the development of their applications, methods for producing nanodots based on green chemistry have consistently attracted the attention of scientists. In this study, green C-dots were synthesized from onion juice using a simple hydrothermal method (200°C, 4 hours), and their optical properties, particle size distribution, and morphology were subsequently evaluated. The antibacterial activity of C-dots was assessed against pathogenic bacteria Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) and Listeria monocytogenes (Gram-positive), with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 8 mg mL-1 and 4 mg mL-1, respectively. Furthermore, the synthesized C-dots were incorporated into nanocellulose using an ex-situ method to produce modified bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) films with both antimicrobial and ultraviolet (UV) protective properties. The carbon dot-embedded nanocellulose demonstrated enhanced UV-blocking capabilities and greater inhibitory activity against Gram-positive bacteria compared to Gram-negative bacteria, highlighting its potential as a promising nano-biomaterial for food packaging applications.

Keywords

• Antimicrobial
• Carbon Dots
• Nanocellulose
• Onion Juice

Main Subjects

• Food Packaging