加工诱导形成的食源性荧光碳点研究进展

食源性荧光碳点（food-borne fluorescent carbon dots,FFCDs）是一种食物原料在加工诱导过程中形成的新型内源性荧光纳米粒子,涉及到加工过程中营养物质复杂物理化学转化过程及相互作用,其粒径一般小于10 nm,水溶性好,表面具有丰富且活泼的官能团,在激发光的照射下可以发出明亮的荧光。食品加工诱导产生的FFCDs最早于2012年在面包中被发现并提取,最近几年掀起了以绿色天然物质为碳源,经加工诱导制备食源性碳点的研究热潮。本文对来源于不同食品原料FFCDs的形貌结构及尺寸、元素组成及官能团和荧光特性等一系列理化性质进行了阐述。同时,基于FFCDs独有的荧光特性,利用体外模拟消化模型揭示FFCDs在体内的消化过程,再从与生物分子相互作用、抗氧化性等方面评价了其生物效应,最后归纳总结了FFCDs的细胞和动物毒性,旨在为未来食品加工过程中开展FFCDs的风险评估、研究可能的健康问题提供参考。

Recent Progress in Research on Food-Borne Fluorescent Carbon Dots Induced by Food Processing

Food-borne fluorescent carbon dots (FFCDs) are a new type of endogenous fluorescent nano-particles produced in food processing. The formation of FFCDs involves in the complex physical and chemical conversion process and interaction of nutrients in food processing. FFCDs generally have particle size less than 10 nm and good water solubility with abundant active functional groups on the surface. FFCDs can emit bright fluorescence under the irradiation of excitation light. They were first discovered and extracted from bread in 2012. Recent years have witnessed an upsurge of research interest in preparing FFCDs using natural green substances as a carbon source. In this review paper, the physicochemical properties, such as morphological structure and size, element composition, functional groups, and fluorescence characteristics of FFCDs derived from different food ingredients are summarized. Furthermore, it reveals the in vivo digestion process of FFCDs using an in vitro digestion model based on the unique fluorescence properties of FFCDs, highlights the biological effects of FFCDs with respect to interaction with biological molecules and antioxidant function. Finally, it concludes with a summary of the cytotoxicity and animal toxicity of FFCDs with the aim to provide a reference for risk assessment of FFCDs in food processing and research on possible health problems associated with FFCDs in the future.