MAPLE-prepared graphene oxide-based coatings for improved orthopedic screws used in knee interventions.

Orthopedic screws are subjected to high mechanical stress, corrosive environment, and microbial colonization, which may cumulatively lead to implant failure and periprosthetic joint infections. To overcome these issues, this study has focused on modifying the surface chemistry and topography of screws utilized in knee intervention toward enhancing their mechanical and biological behaviors. Specifically, this study has explored the optimization of composite coatings made of polycaprolactone (PCL), graphene oxide (GO), and Meropenem (MRP) via the matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) technique.

Synthesis and characterization of hydroxyapatite-zinc oxide nanocomposites incorporating rosemary and thyme essential oils for enhanced bone regeneration and antimicrobial activity.

The study presents a novel approach to bone regeneration using bioactive nanocomposites. The research focuses on creating hydroxyapatite (HAp) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocomposites functionalized with rosemary and thyme essential oils (EOs) to enhance osteogenic and antimicrobial properties. The findings reveal that the incorporation of EOs not only improves biocompatibility by reducing Zn-induced cytotoxicity but also enhances antimicrobial activity, particularly against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria.

Antimicrobial Hydroxyethyl-Cellulose-Based Composite Films with Zinc Oxide and Mesoporous Silica Loaded with Cinnamon Essential Oil.

: Cellulose derivatives are gaining much attention in medical research due to their excellent properties such as biocompatibility, hydrophilicity, non-toxicity, sustainability, and low cost. Unfortunately, cellulose does not exhibit antimicrobial activity. However, derivatives like hydroxyethyl cellulose represent a proper matrix to incorporate antimicrobial agents with beneficial therapeutic effects.

New FeO-Based Coatings with Enhanced Anti-Biofilm Activity for Medical Devices.

With the increasing use of invasive, interventional, indwelling, and implanted medical devices, healthcare-associated infections caused by pathogenic biofilms have become a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Herein, we present the fabrication, characterization, and evaluation of biocompatibility and anti-biofilm properties of new coatings based on FeO nanoparticles (NPs) loaded with usnic acid (UA) and ceftriaxone (CEF). Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) was employed as a stabilizer and modulator of the polarity, dispersibility, shape, and anti-biofilm properties of the magnetite nanoparticles.

Antimicrobial Packaging for Plum Tomatoes Based on ZnO Modified Low-Density Polyethylene.

Food safety and quality are major concerns in the food industry. Despite numerous studies, polyethylene remains one of the most used materials for packaging due to industry reluctance to invest in new technologies and equipment. Therefore, modifications to the current materials are easier to implement than adopting whole new solutions.

Probiotics in Wound Healing.

Wound infections caused by opportunistic bacteria promote persistent infection and represent the main cause of delayed healing. Probiotics are acknowledged for their beneficial effects on the human body and could be utilized in the management of various diseases. They also possess the capacity to accelerate wound healing, due to their remarkable anti-pathogenic, antibiofilm, and immunomodulatory effects.

Infection-Free and Enhanced Wound Healing Potential of Alginate Gels Incorporating Silver and Tannylated Calcium Peroxide Nanoparticles.

The treatment of chronic wounds involves precise requirements and complex challenges, as the healing process cannot go beyond the inflammatory phase, therefore increasing the healing time and implying a higher risk of opportunistic infection. Following a better understanding of the healing process, oxygen supply has been validated as a therapeutic approach to improve and speed up wound healing. Moreover, the local implications of antimicrobial agents (such as silver-based nano-compounds) significantly support the normal healing process, by combating bacterial contamination and colonization.

Host-Microbiome Crosstalk in Chronic Wound Healing.

The pathogenesis of chronic wounds (CW) involves a multifaceted interplay of biochemical, immunological, hematological, and microbiological interactions. Biofilm development is a significant virulence trait which enhances microbial survival and pathogenicity and has various implications on the development and management of CW. Biofilms induce a prolonged suboptimal inflammation in the wound microenvironment, associated with delayed healing.

Nanostructured Coatings Based on Graphene Oxide for the Management of Periprosthetic Infections.

To modulate the bioactivity and boost the therapeutic outcome of implantable metallic devices, biodegradable coatings based on polylactide (PLA) and graphene oxide nanosheets (nGOs) loaded with Zinforo™ (Zin) have been proposed in this study as innovative alternatives for the local management of biofilm-associated periprosthetic infections. Using a modified Hummers protocol, high-purity and ultra-thin nGOs have been obtained, as evidenced by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigations. The matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) technique has been successfully employed to obtain the PLA-nGO-Zin coatings.

Silver/Graphene Oxide Nanostructured Coatings for Modulating the Microbial Susceptibility of Fixation Devices Used in Knee Surgery.

Exploring silver-based and carbon-based nanomaterials' excellent intrinsic antipathogenic effects represents an attractive alternative for fabricating anti-infective formulations. Using chemical synthesis protocols, stearate-conjugated silver (Ag@C) nanoparticles and graphene oxide nanosheets (nGOs) were herein obtained and investigated in terms of composition and microstructure. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterizations revealed the formation of nanomaterials with desirable physical properties, while X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses confirmed the high purity of synthesized nanomaterials.

Microfluidic Synthesis of Magnetite Nanoparticles for the Controlled Release of Antibiotics.

Magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) have been intensively studied for biomedical applications, especially as drug delivery systems for the treatment of infections. Additionally, they are characterized by intrinsic antimicrobial properties owing to their capacity to disrupt or penetrate the microbial cell wall and induce cell death. However, the current focus has shifted towards increasing the control of the synthesis reaction to ensure more uniform nanoparticle sizes and shapes.

Biocompatibility and Antimicrobial Profile of Acid Usnic-Loaded Electrospun Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)-Magnetite Nanofibers.

The highest amount of the world's polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is designated for fiber production (more than 60%) and food packaging (30%) and it is one of the major polluting polymers. Although there is a great interest in recycling PET-based materials, a large amount of unrecycled material is derived mostly from the food and textile industries. The aim of this study was to obtain and characterize nanostructured membranes with fibrillar consistency based on recycled PET and nanoparticles (FeO@UA) using the electrospinning technique.

Multifunctional Polymeric Biodegradable and Biocompatible Coatings Based on Silver Nanoparticles: A Comparative In Vitro Study on Their Cytotoxicity towards Cancer and Normal Cell Lines of Cytostatic Drugs versus Essential-Oil-Loaded Nanoparticles and on Their Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Activities.

We report on a comparative in vitro study of selective cytotoxicity against MCF7 tumor cells and normal VERO cells tested on silver-based nanocoatings synthesized by the matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) technique. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were loaded with five representative cytostatic drugs (i.e.

A Microfluidic Approach for Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles as a Potential Antimicrobial Agent in Alginate-Hyaluronic Acid-Based Wound Dressings.

The recognized antimicrobial activity of silver nanoparticles is a well-studied property, especially when designing and developing biomaterials with medical applications. As biological activity is closely related to the physicochemical characteristics of a material, aspects such as particle morphology and dimension should be considered. Microfluidic systems in continuous flow represent a promising method to control the size, shape, and size distribution of synthesized nanoparticles.

Microwave-Assisted Hydrothermal Treatment of Multifunctional Substituted Hydroxyapatite with Prospective Applications in Bone Regeneration.

Orthopedic bone graft infections are major complications in today's medicine, and the demand for antibacterial treatments is expanding because of the spread of antibiotic resistance. Various compositions of hydroxyapatite (HAp) in which Calcium (Ca) ions are substituted with Cerium (Ce) and Magnesium (Mg) are herein proposed as biomaterials for hard tissue implants. This approach gained popularity in recent years and, in the pursuit of mimicking the natural bone mineral's composition, over 70 elements of the Periodic Table were already reported as substituents into HAp structure.

Electrospun Nanofibrous Mesh Based on PVA, Chitosan, and Usnic Acid for Applications in Wound Healing.

Injuries and diseases of the skin require accurate treatment using nontoxic and noninvasive biomaterials, which aim to mimic the natural structures of the body. There is a strong need to develop biodevices capable of accommodating nutrients and bioactive molecules and generating the process of vascularization. Electrospinning is a robust technique, as it can form fibrous structures for tissue engineering and wound dressings.

Antibacterial Activity of Solvothermal Obtained ZnO Nanoparticles with Different Morphology and Photocatalytic Activity against a Dye Mixture: Methylene Blue, Rhodamine B and Methyl Orange.

In this paper, we report the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) by forced solvolysis of Zn(CHCOO)·2HO in alcohols with a different number of -OH groups. We study the influence of alcohol type (n-butanol, ethylene glycol and glycerin) on the size, morphology, and properties of the obtained ZnO NPs. The smallest polyhedral ZnO NPs (<30 nm) were obtained in n-butanol, while in ethylene glycol the NPs measured on average 44 nm and were rounded.

Magnetite-Based Nanostructured Coatings Functionalized with and Dicloxacillin for Improved Wound Dressings.

In this study, we report the performance improvement of wound dressings by covering them with magnetite-based nanostructured coatings. The magnetite nanoparticles (FeO NPs) were functionalized with () powder/essential oil and dicloxacillin and were synthesized as coatings by matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE). The expected effects of this combination of materials are: (i) to reduce microbial contamination, and (ii) to promote rapid wound healing.

Influence of the Alcohols on the ZnO Synthesis and Its Properties: The Photocatalytic and Antimicrobial Activities.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanomaterials are used in various health-related applications, from antimicrobial textiles to wound dressing composites and from sunscreens to antimicrobial packaging. Purity, surface defects, size, and morphology of the nanoparticles are the main factors that influence the antimicrobial properties. In this study, we are comparing the properties of the ZnO nanoparticles obtained by solvolysis using a series of alcohols: primary from methanol to 1-hexanol, secondary (2-propanol and 2-butanol), and tertiary (tert-butanol).

MAPLE Processed Nanostructures for Antimicrobial Coatings.

Despite their great benefits for debilitated patients, indwelling devices are prone to become easily colonized by resident and opportunistic microorganisms, which have the ability to attach to their surfaces and form highly specialized communities called biofilms. These are extremely resistant to host defense mechanisms and antibiotics, leading to treatment failure and device replacement, but also to life-threatening complications. In this study, we aimed to optimize a silica (SiO)-coated magnetite (FeO)-based nanosystem containing the natural antimicrobial agent, eugenol (E), suitable for MAPLE (matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation) deposition as a bioactive coating for biomedical applications.

Conquering the host: spp. and molecular regulators in lung infection.

When bacteria sense cues from the host environment, stress responses are activated. Two component systems, sigma factors, small RNAs, ppGpp stringent response, and chaperones start coordinate the expression of virulence factors or immunomodulators to allow bacteria to respond. Although, some of these are well studied, such as the two-component systems, the contribution of other regulators, such as sigma factors or ppGpp, is increasingly gaining attention.

Dextran-Coated Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Loaded with Curcumin for Antimicrobial Therapies.

The current trend in antimicrobial-agent development focuses on the use of natural compounds that limit the toxicity of conventional drugs and provide a potential solution to the antimicrobial resistance crisis. Curcumin represents a natural bioactive compound with well-known antimicrobial, anticancer, and antioxidant properties. However, its hydrophobicity considerably limits the possibility of body administration.