The aim of the present work is to use the latest achievements of nanotechnology (atomic layer deposition, ALD) in the field of food packaging to prevent biofilm formation by food-associated bacteria. Some potential applications of nanotechnology in the food packaging industry are studied in the manuscript, in the field of antibacterial materials for food packaging. The ALD technique was used to synthesize vanadium (V)-doped TiO2 thin nanofilm on commercially available polypropylene (PP) food container to enhance an antibacterial activity for potential use in food packaging, to reduce spoilage, thereby, prolonging the food shelf- life. To better understand the ability and effectiveness of the antimicrobial packaging material of V-doped TiO2, to prevent the biofilm formation by dairy-associated pathogenic bacteria, the coated and uncoated PP containers with a fresh raw cow\'s milk were tested. We have illustrated the effectiveness of ALD Al2O3 + TiVOx nanocoating against populations of milk-borne pathogenic bacteria.

Severe bleeding and bacterial infections pose significant challenges to the global public health. Effective hemostatic materials have the potential to be used for rapid control of bleeding at the wound site. In this study, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) were doped with zinc ions (MSN@Zn) and subsequently functionalized with carboxyl (-COOH) groups through post-grafting, resulting in (MSN@Zn-COOH). The results demonstrated the successful functionalization of carboxyl groups on the surface of MSN@Zn mesoporous materials with minimal impact on the morphology. The released zinc ions showed potent antibacterial activity (above ∼80 %) against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). In vitro and in vivo assessments of MSN@Zn-COOH revealed excellent hemostatic effects and favorable blood compatibility. Hemolysis percentages associated with MSN@Zn-COOH exhibited noteworthy reductions in comparison to MSN. Furthermore, a decrease in APTT (a test evaluating the intrinsic coagulation pathway) of modified MSN@Zn indicated enhanced hemostasis, supported by their negative zeta potential (∼ -14 to -43 mV). Importantly, all samples showed no cytotoxicity. This work underscores the potential of MSN@Zn-COOH, with its combined hemostatic performance and antibacterial activity, for emergency clinical applications.

Antibacterial materials with high hydrophobicity have drawbacks such as protein adsorption, bacterial contamination, and biofilm formation, which are responsible for some serious adverse health events. Therefore, antibacterial materials with high hydrophilicity are highly desired. In this paper, UV-curable antibacterial materials are prepared from silicone-containing Choline chloride (ChCl) functionalized hyperbranched quaternary ammonium salts (QAS) and tri-hydroxylethyl acrylate phosphate (TAEP). The materials show high hydrophilic performance because their water contact angle is as low as 19.3°. The materials also exhibit quite high antibacterial efficiency against S. aureus over 95.6%, fairly high transmittance over 90%, and good mechanical performance with tensile strength as high as 6.5 MPa. It reveals that it is a feasible strategy to develop antibacterial materials with low hydrophobicity from silicone-modified ChCl-functionalized hyperbranched QAS.

Polymer hydrogels find extensive application in biomedicine, serving specific purposes such as drug delivery, biosensing, bioimaging, cancer therapy, tissue engineering, and others. In response to the growing threat of bacterial infections and the escalating resistance to conventional antibiotics, this research introduces a novel injectable, self-healing antimicrobial hydrogel comprising bioactive aldolized hyaluronic acid (AHA) and quaternized chitosan (QCS). This designed QCS/AHA hydrogel incorporates self-assembling peptide nanofibers (PNFs) and small-sized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) for tailored functionality. The resulting hybrid QCS/AHA/PNF/AgNPs hydrogel demonstrates impressive rheological characteristics, broad-spectrum antimicrobial efficacy, and high biocompatibility. Notably, its antimicrobial effectiveness against Escherichia coli and S. aureus surpasses 99.9%, underscoring its potential for treating infectious wounds. Moreover, the rheological analysis confirms its excellent shear-thinning and self-healing properties, enabling it to conform closely to irregular wound surfaces. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity assessment reveals its compatibility with human umbilical vein endothelial cells, exhibiting no significant adverse effects. The combined attributes of this bioactive QCS/AHA/PNF/AgNPs hydrogel position it as a promising candidate for antimicrobial applications and wound healing.

Cellulose-based antibacterial hydrogel has good biocompatibility, antibacterial performance, biodegradability, and other characteristics. It can be very compatible with human tissues and degradation, while its good water absorption and moisturizing properties can effectively absorb wound exudates, keep the wound moist, and promote wound healing. In this paper, the structural properties, and physical and chemical cross-linking preparation methods of cellulose-based antibacterial hydrogels were discussed in detail, and the application of cellulose-based hydrogels in the antibacterial field was deeply studied. In general, cellulose-based antibacterial hydrogels, as a new type of biomaterial, have shown good potential in antimicrobial properties and have been widely used. However, there are still some challenges, such as optimizing the preparation process and performance parameters, improving the antibacterial and physical properties, broadening the application range, and evaluating safety. However, with the deepening of research and technological progress, it is believed that cellulose-based antibacterial hydrogels will be applied and developed in more fields in the future.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the biocompatibility, osteogenic and antibacterial activity of biomedical devices based on Magnesium (Mg) Alloys manufactured by Superplastic Forming process (SPF) and subjected to Hydrothermal (HT) and Sol-Gel Treatment (Sol-Gel).
METHODS: Mg-SPF devices subjected to Hydrothermal (Mg-SPF+HT) and Sol-Gel Treatment (Mg-SPF+Sol-Gel) were investigated. The biocompatibility of Mg-SPF+Sol-Gel and Mg-SPF+HT devices was observed by indirect and direct cytotoxicity assays, whereas the colonization of sample surfaces was assessed by confocal microscopy. qRT-PCR analysis and microbial growth curve analyses were employed to evaluate the osteogenic and antibacterial activity of both SPF-Mg treated devices, respectively.
RESULTS: Mg-SPF+HT and Mg-SPF+Sol-Gel showed a high degree of biocompatibility. Analysis of mRNA expression of osteogenic genes in cells cultured on Mg-treated devices revealed a significant upregulation of the expression levels of BMP2 and Runx-2. Furthermore, the bacterial growth in strains developed in contact with both the Mg-SPF+HT and Mg-SPF+Sol-Gel devices was lower than that observed in the control.
CONCLUSIONS: Hydrothermal and Sol-Gel Treatments of Mg alloys obtained through the SPF process demonstrated bioactive, osteogenic and antibacterial activity, offering a promising alternative to conventional Mg-based devices. The obtained Mg-based materials may have the potential to enhance the tunability of temporary devices in maxillary reconstruction, eliminating the need for second surgeries, and ensuring a good bone reconstruction and a reduced implant failure rate due to bacterial infections.

The development of a wound dressing with both antibacterial and healing-guiding functions is a major concern in the treatment of open and infected wounds. In this study, poly(hexamethylene biguanide) hydrochloride (PHMB) was loaded into a 3D silk fibroin (SF) scaffold based on electrostatic interactions between PHMB and SF, and PHMB/SF hybrid scaffolds were prepared via freeze-drying. The effects of the PHMB/SF ratio on the antibacterial activity and cytocompatibility of the hybrid scaffold were investigated. The results of an agar disc diffusion test and a bacteriostasis rate examination showed that when the mass ratio of PHMB/SF was greater than 1/100, the scaffold exhibited obvious antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus. L-929 cells were encapsulated in the PHMB/SF scaffolds and cultured in vitro. SEM, laser scanning confocal microscopy, and CCK-8 assay results demonstrated that hybrid scaffolds with a PHMB/SF ratio of less than 2/100 significantly promoted cell adhesion, spreading, and proliferation. In conclusion, a hybrid scaffold with a PHMB/SF ratio of approximately 2/100 not only effectively inhibited bacterial reproduction but also showed good cytocompatibility and is expected to be usable as a functional antibacterial dressing for wound repair.

Bacterial infections pose a huge threat to human health due to the inevitable emergency of drug resistance. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) consisting of metal ions and organic linkers, as emerging efficient antibacterial material, have the merits of structural flexibility and adjustable physicochemical property. With assistance of photosensitive agents as organic linkers, MOFs have great potential in antibacterial application through photocatalytic therapy by the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, the limited light use efficiency and short lifespan of ROS are two obstacles for their applications. Inspired by the semiconductor heterostructure in photocatalysis, we rationally design and precisely synthesize MOFs based heterostructures, in which the TiO2 nanoclusters are filled into the pores of Cu-TCPP nanosheets (i.e. TiO2 NCs@Cu-TCPP HSs). And the composite materials possess three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical architectures, which have advantages of large surface area, excellent light-absorbing ability and photocatalytic efficiency. Significantly, this novel material displays >99.99 % antibacterial efficiency against E. coli and S. aureus within 30 min and preserves the excellent antibacterial ability during reusing three times, which is superior to recently reported photocatalystic-based antibacterial materials. Our study provides new insights into the energy band engineering for enhanced antibacterial performance, paving a way for designing advanced clinical wound dressings.

The creation of antibacterial nanocomposites that provide prolonged release of encapsulated drugs is of great interest for various fields of medicine (dentistry, tissue regeneration, etc.). This article demonstrates the possibility of creating such nanocomposites based on sodium alginate and drug-templated mesoporous silica nanocontainers (MSNs) loaded with two bioactive substances. Herein, we thoroughly study all stages of the process, starting with the synthesis of MSNs using antiseptic micelles containing the hydrophobic drug quercetin and ending with assessing the activity of the resulting composites against various microorganisms. The main emphasis is on studying the quercetin solubilization in antiseptic micelles as well as establishing the relationship between the conditions of MSN synthesis and micelle morphology and capacity. The effect of medium pH on the release rate of encapsulated drugs is also evaluated. It was shown that the MSNs contained large amounts of encapsulated drugs and that the rate of drug unloading depended on the medium pH. The incorporation of such MSNs into the alginate matrix allowed for a prolonged release of the drugs.

The escalating concern over conventional antibiotic resistance has emphasized the urgency in developing innovative antimicrobial agents. In recent times, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have garnered significant attention within the realm of antimicrobial research due to their multifaceted antimicrobial attributes, including the sustained release of intrinsic or exogenous antimicrobial components, chemodynamically catalyzed generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and formation of photogenerated ROS. This comprehensive review provides a thorough overview of the synthetic approaches employed in the production of MOF-based materials, elucidating their underlying antimicrobial mechanisms in depth. The focal point lies in elucidating the research advancements across various antimicrobial modalities, encompassing intrinsic component release system, extraneous component release system, auto-catalytical system, and energy conversion system. Additionally, the progress of MOF-based antimicrobial materials in addressing wound infections, osteomyelitis, and periodontitis is meticulously elucidated, culminating in a summary of the challenges and potential opportunities inherent within the realm of antimicrobial applications for MOF-based materials. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Growing concerns about conventional antibiotic resistance emphasized the need for alternative antimicrobial solutions. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have gained significant attention in antimicrobial research due to their diverse attributes like sustained antimicrobial components release, catalytic generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and photogenerated ROS. This review covers MOF synthesis and their antimicrobial mechanisms. It explores advancements in intrinsic and extraneous component release, auto-catalysis, and energy conversion systems. The paper also discusses MOF-based materials\' progress in addressing wound infections, osteomyelitis, and periodontitis, along with existing challenges and opportunities. Given the lack of related reviews, our findings hold promise for future MOF applications in antibacterial research, making it relevant to your journal\'s readership.