Bioactive ZnO Coatings Deposited by MAPLE-An Appropriate Strategy to Produce Efficient Anti-Biofilm Surfaces.

Alexandra Oprea,Ecaterina Andronescu,Tudor-Adrian Bălşeanu,Alexandru Grumezescu,Mariana Chirea,Mariana Chifiriuc,Loredana Pandel,George Mogoşanu,Valentina Grumezescu,Alina Holban,Gabriel Socol,Ana Dumitrescu,Laurenţiu Mogoantă,Horia Maniu,Florin Iordache

doi:10.3390/molecules21020220

Abstract

Deposition of bioactive coatings composed of zinc oxide, cyclodextrin and cefepime (ZnO/CD/Cfp) was performed by the Matrix Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation (MAPLE) technique. The obtained nanostructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction, IR microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The efficient release of cefepime was correlated with an increased anti-biofilm activity of ZnO/CD/Cfp composites. In vitro and in vivo tests have revealed a good biocompatibility of ZnO/CD/Cfp coatings, which recommend them as competitive candidates for the development of antimicrobial surfaces with biomedical applications. The release of the fourth generation cephalosporin Cfp in a biologically active form from the ZnO matrix could help preventing the bacterial adhesion and the subsequent colonization and biofilm development on various surfaces, and thus decreasing the risk of biofilm-related infections.

Highlights

Antibiotics are one of the most important therapeutic discoveries in medical history, and an essential tool for modern medicine and common procedures, such as transplantation, chemotherapy and orthopedic surgery
Spectral collection was made in reflection mode at 4 cm1 resolution
The obtained results demonstrate that ZnO/CD coatings deposited by means of the Matrix Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation (MAPLE)

Summary

Introduction

Antibiotics are one of the most important therapeutic discoveries in medical history, and an essential tool for modern medicine and common procedures, such as transplantation, chemotherapy and orthopedic surgery. The problem of increasing resistance is even more threatening when considering the very limited number of new antimicrobial agents that are emerging and the ability of microorganisms to form biofilms on natural tissues and implanted medical devices [1]. Extended spectrum β-lactamase and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae are key Gram-negative pathogens that are involved in serious nosocomial infections. In these Gram-negatives, resistance to all active agents have been described, and clustering of multiple resistance determinants to various classes of antimicrobial agents is a common finding which results in complex multi-drug, extended-drug and pan-drug resistance phenotypes [2,3]. Different clinical studies illustrate that patients infected with resistant strains of these key Gram-negative pathogens have increased mortality, longer hospital stays, and higher hospital costs than those infected by susceptible strains [4]

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