Characterization, antioxidant activity of banana peel carbon dots and their antibacterial mechanism against <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>

CDs are an ideal antioxidant and natural antibacterial agent that can inhibit S. aureus. The antioxidant effect of CDs is achieved through radical scavenging, and they exhibit good cytocompatibility. At the same time, CDs exhibits strong antifungal activity through mechanisms such as disrupting the cell membrane structure, altering membrane permeability, causing leakage of cellular contents, increasing malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and accumulating intracellular ROS.