Gelatin-Gallic Acid Microcomplexes Release GO/Cu Nanomaterials to Eradicate Antibiotic-Resistant Microbes and Their Biofilm

Polyphenols and their nanoformulations as potential antibiofilm agents against multidrug-resistant pathogens

The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens is a major problem in the therapeutic management of infectious diseases. Among the bacterial resistance mechanisms is the development of an enveloped protein and polysaccharide-hydrated matrix called a biofilm. Polyphenolics have demonstrated beneficial antibacterial effects. Phenolic compounds mediate their antibiofilm effects via disruption of the bacterial membrane, deprivation of substrate, protein binding, binding to adhesion complex, viral fusion blockage and interactions with eukaryotic DNA. However, these compounds have limitations of chemical instability, low bioavailability, poor water solubility and short half-lives. Nanoformulations offer a promising solution to overcome these challenges by enhancing their antibacterial potential. This review summarizes the antibiofilm role of polyphenolics, their underlying mechanisms and their potential role as resistance-modifying agents.

Antibacterial and biofilm-inhibiting cotton fabrics decorated with copper nanoparticles grown on graphene nanosheets

Infectious pathogens can be transmitted through textiles. Therefore, additional efforts are needed to develop functional fabrics containing antimicrobial substances to prevent the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and their biofilms. Here, we developed a cotton fabric coated with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs), which possessed hydrophobic, antimicrobial, and anti-biofilm properties. Once the graphene oxide was dip-coated on a cellulose cotton fabric, Cu NPs were synthesized using a chemical reduction method to fabricate an rGO/Cu fabric, which was analyzed through FE-SEM, EDS, and ICP-MS. The results of our colony-forming unit assays indicated that the rGO/Cu fabric possessed high antibacterial and anti-biofilm properties against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Corynebacterium xerosis, and Micrococcus luteus. Particularly, the fabric could inhibit the growth of E. coli, C. xerosis, and M. luteus with a 99% efficiency. Furthermore, our findings confirmed that the same concentrations of rGO/Cu had no cytotoxic effects against CCD-986Sk and Human Dermal Fibroblast (HDF), human skin cells, and NIH/3T3, a mouse skin cell. The developed rGO/Cu fabric thus exhibited promising applicability as a cotton material that can maintain hygienic conditions by preventing the propagation of various bacteria and sufficiently suppressing biofilm formation while also being harmless to the human body.