Fluorescent carbon dots in baked lamb: Formation, cytotoxicity and scavenging capability to free radicals

•Properties of carbon dots from baked lamb were dependent on heating temperature.•Carbon dots from baked lamb could alter the cell cycle progression slightly.•Carbon dots from baked lamb could scavenge free radicals both in vitro and in vivo. The formation and properties of nanostructures during food processing have attracted much attention in recent years. Herein, the formation and physicochemical properties of fluorescence carbon dots (CDs) from baked lamb at different baking temperatures (200, 300, and 350 °C) were investigated. The morphology, surface functional groups and fluorescent quantum yield of the CDs were found to be highly dependent on the heating temperature. Biocompatibility of CDs investigation indicated that they were able to disperse onto both the cell membrane and the cytoplasm of HepG2 cells, and alter the cell cycle progression slightly. Moreover, the CDs from baked lamb of 350 °C showed the maximum scavenging capability to free radicals and could protect the cell from oxidative damage in vitro. This contribution represents the first report regarding the properties and formation process of CDs in baked lamb, providing valuable insights into baking temperature influence on physicochemical properties of the CDs.