Natural fluorescent silk fibroin for biomedical applications

Abstract

The present invention relates to synthesize nontoxic fluorescent silk fibroin for biomedical applications, including wound healing and cell growth support. Fluorescent silk fibroin is produced by incorporating nontoxic carbon quantum dots (CQDs) into the diet of Bombyx mori silkworms. CQDs are synthesized from Rhodamine B using a hydrothermal method, with particle sizes ranging from 2-3 nm. When fed to silkworms at a concentration of 0.1 wt %, CQDs enhance the mechanical and optical properties of the resulting fluorescent silk. The fluorescent silk fibroin is further processed into scaffolds and hydrogel films for biomedical applications. Experimental results demonstrate increased mesenchymal stem cell adhesion and proliferation, with cell coverage increasing from 9% to 37.5% over three days. Additionally, fluorescent silk fibroin bandages enable real-time monitoring of wound healing, as fluorescence intensity decreases with healing progression. This invention provides a nontoxic alternative for biomedical applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.