Aspirin-Based Carbon Dots, a Good Biocompatibility of Material Applied for Bioimaging and Anti-Inflammation

The emerging photoluminescent carbon-based nanomaterials are promising in various fields besides cell imaging and carrier transport. Carbon nanomaterials with specific biological functions, however, are rarely investigated. Aspirin is a very common anti-inflammatory medication to relieve aches and pains. In this study, we have tried to create a carbon nanoparticle with aspirin, and we expect that this new carbon nanoparticle will have both anti-inflammatory and fluorescent biomarker functions. Fluorescent aspirin-based carbon dots (FACDs) were synthesized by condensing aspirin and hydrazine through a one-step microwave-assisted method. Imaging data demonstrated that FACDs efficiently entered into human cervical carcinoma and mouse monocyte macrophage cells <i>in vitro</i> with low cell toxicity. Results from quantitative polymerase chain reaction and histological analysis indicated that FACDs possessed effective anti-inflammatory effects <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in vivo</i> compared to aspirin only. Hematology, serum biochemistry, and histology results suggested that FACDs also had no significant toxicity <i>in vivo</i>. Our results clearly demonstrate that FACDs have dual functions, cellular imaging/bioimaging and anti-inflammation, and suggest that FACDs have great potential in future clinical applications.