Dead Cell Discrimination with Red Emissive Carbon Quantum Dots from the Medicinal and Edible Herb Echinophora tenuifolia.

ABSTRACT: Accurately determining the viability of cells is crucial for in vitro cell research. Fluorescence-based live/dead cell staining is a highly desirable method to assess cell viability and survival in in vitro studies. We describe a green synthesis method to create red-emissive CQDs from the medicinal and edible herb Echinophora tenuifolia using microwave irradiation. We observed that the biocompatibility and photostability of the CQDs are superior. The antioxidant capacity of the CQDs and the plant extract were also investigated using different chemical methods (DPPH, ABTS, CUPRAC, FRAP, PBD, and MCA). The antioxidant capacity of the CQDs was similar to that of the extract of E. tenuifolia. Cytotoxicity studies indicate that while the CQDs are not toxic to L929, they exhibit significant toxi

SUBMITTER: Ozdemir N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12672788 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature