Surface modified and medicated polyurethane materials capable of controlling microorganisms causing foot skin infection in athletes

Surface immobilization of kanamycin-chitosan nanoparticles on polyurethane ureteral stents to prevent bacterial adhesion

Bacterial adhesion is a major problem that can lead to the infection of implanted urological stents. In this study, kanamycin-chitosan nanoparticles (KMCSNPs) were immobilized on the surface of a polyurethane ureteral stent (PUS) to prevent urinary bacterial infection. KMCSNPs were synthesized using the ionic gelation method. The synthesized KMCSNPs appeared spherical with a ζ-average particle size of 225 nm. KMCSNPs were immobilized on the PUS surface by covalent immobilization techniques. The surface-modified PUS was characterized using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The surface-modified PUS showed significantly increased antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli MTCC 729 and Proteus mirabilis MTCC 425 relative to the surface of an unmodified PUS. These findings suggest that the KMCSNP-immobilized PUS has the potential to prevent bacterial infection in the human urinary tract.

Antibacterial properties of metal and metalloid ions in chronic periodontitis and peri-implantitis therapy

Periodontal diseases like periodontitis and peri-implantitis have been linked with Gram-negative anaerobes. The incorporation of various chemotherapeutic agents, including metal ions, into several materials and devices has been extensively studied against periodontal bacteria, and materials doped with metal ions have been proposed for the treatment of periodontal and peri-implant diseases. The aim of this review is to discuss the effectiveness of materials doped with metal and metalloid ions already used in the treatment of periodontal diseases, as well as the potential use of alternative materials that are currently available for other applications but have been proved to be cytotoxic to the specific periodontal pathogens. The sources of this review included English articles using Google Scholar™, ScienceDirect, Scopus and PubMed. Search terms included the combinations of the descriptors "disease", "ionic species" and "bacterium". Articles that discuss the biocidal properties of materials doped with metal and metalloid ions against the specific periodontal bacteria were included. The articles were independently extracted by two authors using predefined data fields. The evaluation of resources was based on the quality of the content and the relevance to the topic, which was evaluated by the ionic species and the bacteria used in the study, while the final application was not considered as relevant. The present review summarizes the extensive previous and current research efforts concerning the use of metal ions in periodontal diseases therapy, while it points out the challenges and opportunities lying ahead.