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Nanocomposites as Effective and Targeted Antibacterial Agents

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomaterials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2021) | Viewed by 6105

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123 Palermo, Italy
Interests: antimicrobial agents; synthesis of heterocyclic compounds; sortase A inhibitors; antibiofilm compounds; antimicrobial resistance

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Guest Editor
Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90123 Palermo, Italy
Interests: controlled drug release; bio-adhesive buccal delivery systems; sublingual delivery; lipid-micro and nanoparticles; drug absorption from the oral cavity
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Research on nanocomposites applied to medical and healthcare applications has attracted many researchers, as evidenced by recent improvements in medical research that have involved nanomaterials as useful tools to fight bacteria and other microbial pathogens. The rapid development of nanocomposites in preventing growth and microbial colonization is helping to solve the current global health crisis with regards to antimicrobial resistance.

Many materials have turned out to possess intrinsic antimicrobial properties when they are in nano-dimensions, such as silver nanoparticles, titanium oxide nanoparticles, quantum dots (QDs), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs). Biomaterials-based nanoparticles (NPs), such as chitosan or cellulose, and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) are increasingly used to target bacteria as an alternative to antibiotics.

The bio-based matrices not only provide support for nanoparticles, but can also improve the antimicrobial effects of the agents they incorporate, and expand the potential applications of these materials to meet multiple demands in the biomedical field, in water treatment, and in the food industry. The use of nanocomposites containing natural compounds to confer antimicrobial properties is also an interesting challenge in the formulation of non-active medical devices and in the design of biodegradable food packaging.

This Special Issue will focus on enhancing the antimicrobial properties of nanocomposites as effective and targeted antibacterial agents. They could either actively release antimicrobial agents or passively act through antiseptic surface properties.

Original full research articles, short communications, and reviews related to any of the topics on nanocomposites are welcome, as well as critical reviews on the negative effects of NPs on human health and the environment. Particular attention will be given to the green synthesis approaches of nanocomposites, also through the use of bioorganic compounds, for example, plant extracts as green reactants or microorganisms to obtain new bio-based polymer nanocomposites useful for biomedical and packaging applications.

Scientific contributions regarding the use of natural compounds for the construction of nanocomposites and/or nanoparticles are also welcome. Finally, considering that the mechanism of the bactericidal effect of metal-NPs is still to be clarified, studies aiming to understand their mechanism of action will be well received.

Prof. Maria Valeria Raimondi
Dr. Viviana De Caro
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Nanocomposite
  • Nanoparticles
  • Antibacterial activity
  • Bio-based compounds
  • Natural polymer nanocomposites
  • Antibiofilm compounds
  • Antimicrobial resistance
  • Green synthesis approaches
  • Bactericidal effects of metal-NPs

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 2255 KiB  
Article
Antibacterial PEGylated Solid Lipid Microparticles for Cosmeceutical Purpose: Formulation, Characterization, and Efficacy Evaluation
by Giuseppe Angellotti, Denise Murgia, Alessandro Presentato, Maria Cristina D’Oca, Amalia Giulia Scarpaci, Rosa Alduina, Maria Valeria Raimondi and Viviana De Caro
Materials 2020, 13(9), 2073; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13092073 - 30 Apr 2020
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2794
Abstract
The development of efficacious means of delivering antioxidant polyphenols from natural sources for the treatment of skin diseases is of great interest for many cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies. Resveratrol (RSV) and Limonene (LIM) have been shown to possess good anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties [...] Read more.
The development of efficacious means of delivering antioxidant polyphenols from natural sources for the treatment of skin diseases is of great interest for many cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies. Resveratrol (RSV) and Limonene (LIM) have been shown to possess good anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus infections responsible for many skin disorders, such as acne vulgaris. In this study, solid lipid microparticles are designed as composite vehicles capable of encapsulating a high amount of trans-RSV and enhancing its absorption through the stratum corneum. A microparticulate system based on mixture of PEGylate lipids, long-chain alcohols and LIM is able to entrap RSV in an amorphous state, increasing its half-life and avoiding inactivation due to isomerization phenomena, which represents the main drawback in topical formulations. Particles have been characterized in term of shape, size distribution and drug loading. Antimicrobial tests against S. aureus have highlighted that empty microspheres possess per se antimicrobial activity, which is enhanced by the presence of LIM, demonstrating that they can represent an interesting bactericide vehicle for RSV administration on the skin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanocomposites as Effective and Targeted Antibacterial Agents)
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10 pages, 2212 KiB  
Article
Bionanotechnology: Silver Nanoparticles Supported on Bovine Bone Powder Used as Bactericide
by Sergio Arturo Gama-Lara, Martha Stephanie Pérez Mendoza, Alfredo Rafael Vilchis-Nestor and Reyna Natividad
Materials 2020, 13(2), 462; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13020462 - 18 Jan 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2804
Abstract
Bionanotechnology is a relatively new term that implies the use of some biological material or organisms in order to prepare nanosystems or nanoparticles. This work presents the preparation and bactericide application of a sustainable nanometric system (silver nanoparticles) using a waste biological support [...] Read more.
Bionanotechnology is a relatively new term that implies the use of some biological material or organisms in order to prepare nanosystems or nanoparticles. This work presents the preparation and bactericide application of a sustainable nanometric system (silver nanoparticles) using a waste biological support (bovine bone powder). This system was prepared by the method of metallic salt reduction, using NaBH4 as reducing agent and AgNO3 as metallic salt. Two silver contents were analyzed, 1% and 5% weight. The latter was found to be more efficient than the former. Transmission electronic microscopy shows an average size of 10.5 ± 3.3 nm and quasi-sphere morphology. The antimicrobial assay shows that a 5% weight content of silver had a bactericide effect for Escherichia coli at 46.8 min of exposure. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of silver nanoparticles supported on bovine bone powder for Escherichia coli was 7.5 µg/mL. The biocomposite exhibits a specific antibacterial kinetics constant (k) of 0.1128 min−1 and decimal reduction time (DRT) of 20.39 min for Escherichia coli. Thus, it was concluded that a biocomposite was prepared with a biodegradable, waste, and low-cost support, under mild conditions (room temperature and atmospheric pressure) and using water as solvent. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanocomposites as Effective and Targeted Antibacterial Agents)
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