ZnO nanorod nonwoven fabrics (ZNRN) were developed through hydrothermal synthesis to facilitate the prevention of the transmission of respiratory pathogens. The superhydrophobicity and antibacterial properties of ZNRN were improved through the response surface methodology. The synthesized material exhibited significant water repellency, indicated by a water contact angle of 163.9°, and thus demonstrated antibacterial rates of 91.8% for Escherichia coli (E. coli) and 79.75% for Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). This indicated that E. coli with thinner peptidoglycan may be more easily killed than S. aureus. This study identified significant effects of synthesis conditions on the antibacterial effectiveness, with comprehensive multivariate analyses elucidating the underlying correlations. In addition, the ZnO nanorod structure of ZNRN was characterized through SEM and XRD analyses. It endows the properties of superhydrophobicity (thus preventing bacteria from adhering to the ZNRN surface) and antibacterial capacity (thus damaging cells through the puncturing of these nanorods). Consequently, the alignment of two such features is desired to help support the development of personal protective equipment, which assists in avoiding the spread of respiratory infections.

Essential oils are of great interest due to their potent pharmaceutical and biological activities. In this study, essential oils extracted from Origanum compactum and Thymus zygis originating from the Middle Atlas of Morocco were investigated. Their chemical compositions were analyzed using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, while the assessment of the trapping power of the radical (DPPH: 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) and the reducing antioxidant potential of ferric ions (FRAP: Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power) were performed in order to evaluate the antioxidant activity. Their antibacterial potency was tested against six bacterial strains through the disk diffusion method. The chromatography analyses of the extracted essential oils highlighted the presence of two main components, namely carvacrol at 75.70% in O. compactum and thymol at 40.67% in T. zygis. The antioxidant activity tests showed that both essential oils demonstrated a significant antioxidant activity comparable to the positive control (e.g., ascorbic acid). The antibacterial activity results showed a strong antimicrobial effect for both essential oils, compared to synthetic antibiotics. This study affirms the presence of bioactive components with interesting antioxidant and antibacterial activities in the essential oils extracted from Origanum compactum and Thymus zygis, which could find several applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries through the substitution of synthetic antioxidants and antibiotics.

Autologous and allogeneic bone grafts remain the gold standard for repairing bone defects. However, donor shortages and postoperative infections contribute to unsatisfactory treatment outcomes. Tissue engineering technology that utilizes biologically active composites to accelerate the healing and reconstruction of segmental bone defects has led to new ideas for in situ bone repair. Multifunctional nanocomposite hydrogels were constructed by covalently binding silver (Ag+) core-embedded mesoporous silica nanoparticles (Ag@MSN) to bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), which was encapsulated into silk fibroin methacryloyl (SilMA) and photo-crosslinked to form an Ag@MSN-BMP-2/SilMA hydrogel to preserve the biological activity of BMP-2 and slow its release. More importantly, multifunctional Ag+-containing nanocomposite hydrogels showed antibacterial properties. These hydrogels possessed synergistic osteogenic and antibacterial effects to promote bone defect repair. Ag@MSN-BMP-2/SilMA exhibited good biocompatibility in vitro and in vivo owing to its interconnected porosity and improved hydrophilicity. Furthermore, the multifunctional nanocomposite hydrogel showed controllable sustained-release activity that promoted bone regeneration in repairing rat skull defects by inducing osteogenic differentiation and neovascularization. Overall, Ag@MSN-BMP-2/SilMA hydrogels enrich bone regeneration strategies and show great potential for bone regeneration.

Multifunctionalization of cotton using a single product has not been made until now. Such a product was synthesized using compounds with multiple functions (glyoxal, ethylenediamine (ED) and monochlorotriazinyl-β-cyclodextrin (MCT-β-CD)), under different mass ratios. Obtaining this multifunctional derivative has been confirmed by spectroscopic analyses (1H-NMR and FTIR) and a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Treatment of cotton with the MCT-β-CD derivative (D-CD) has been realized with the pad dry-cure technology. The presence of this multifunctional derivative on cotton was highlighted with spectroscopic (FTIR, EDAX, XRD) and thermoanalytical (DSC) methods. The objective of treating cotton with D-CD was to achieve four simultaneous effects: large wrinkle recovery angle (WRA), hydrophilicity, antibacterial capacity and a good breaking resistance. This objective has been achieved, so the garments that will be manufactured with such multifunctional cotton will be more comfortable. The efficiency of treatments with D-CD was marked out by multiple linear regression (MLR) and certain quality indices. Using MLR, the behavior of the treated cotton was mathematically modeled and the stationary/optimal points corresponding to each effect were calculated. Quality indices have been calculated and all final samples had values higher than 1, which confirmed the positive effects exerted by D-CDs on cotton.

Antibacterial scaffolds are highly desirable for the repair and reconstruction of injured soft tissues. However, the direct fabrication of scaffolds with excellent biocompatibility, flexibility, and antibacterial capacity remains a challenge, especially those based on biomaterials. In this study, we report the biomaterial-based antibacterial scaffolds based on regenerated silk fibroin, 2-hydroxypropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan, and bladder acellular matrix graft by blend and coaxial electrospinning. This approach eliminated the use of organic solvents and inorganic nanoparticles, ensuring greater clinical safety, mimicking physiological extracellular matrix structures, and the required softness for a suture material. Thus, the scaffold obtained in this study exhibited excellent biocompatibility, the required mechanical characteristics, and excellent antibacterial capacity. The rate of bacterial elimination of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli reached up to 99.5 and 98.3%, respectively. The scaffold design favored cell growth and proliferation and resulted in the significant promotion of repair and reconstruction of the urethra, indicating that it can be an ideal antibacterial suture material for soft tissue restoration.

BACKGROUND: Edible packaging and coating with natural antimicrobials such as essential oils is an emerging technology for the control of pathogen growth in meat products. This study aimed to explore ethyl cellulose (EC) of three viscosities for the structuring of cinnamon essential oil (CEO), and investigated the physicochemical properties of the resulting oleogel and its emulsion, as well as the corresponding antibacterial activity in model and actual environments (as in sausages).
RESULTS: The network structure of CEO-EC oleogel was more compact with increased EC viscosity, thereby improving the binding capacity and stability of the oil. A positive correlation was found between EC viscosity and particle size of the CEO-EC emulsion. The 45 cP CEO-EC emulsion exhibited greatest antimicrobial activitiy in models with Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 (ATCC 700927) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) (ATCC 29213), as well as in sausage, with respect to total counts of mesophilic bacteria, psychrotrophs, lactobacilli, and pseudomonads.
CONCLUSIONS: The CEO-EC oleogel has antibacterial activity, determined by the EC viscosity, that provide potential antibacterial protection for meat products and might be especially suitable for some traditional Chinese ready-to-eat sausages without strictly sealed packaging. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

In this study, catechin (CT), catechin liposome (CTL), and α-tocopherol (TP) were added to Chinese dried pork to achieve a healthy lipid composition. Their effectiveness in prevention of lipid oxidation was determined by measuring the values of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and peroxides. The total viable count in samples was used to identify the antimicrobial activities of CT, CTL, and TP, and the pH values of the samples were determined. Chinese dried pork with antioxidants added at 600 mg/kg was subjected to sensory evaluation. Thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance values, peroxide values, and total viable counts indicated that CTL significantly enhanced the antioxidant and antibacterial effects of CT on Chinese dried pork, especially after storage at room temperature for 25 days. Compared with the two other antioxidants, CTL could better maintain the pH stability of Chinese dried pork at room temperature. Sensory evaluation revealed that the scores of CTL were better than those of CT and TP in terms of preserving the color, flavor, tenderness, and overall acceptability of Chinese dried pork. Use of CTL in Chinese dried pork had good antioxidant and antibacterial effects and maintained color, flavor, and tenderness at a relatively stable level, suggesting that CTL could be used as an antioxidant in Chinese dried pork to enhance oxidative stability and prolong shelf life.