New Fe<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub>-Based Coatings with Enhanced Anti-Biofilm Activity for Medical Devices
Ioana Adelina Pirușcă,
Paul Cătălin Balaure,
Valentina Grumezescu,
Stefan-Andrei Irimiciuc,
Ovidiu-Cristian Oprea,
Alexandra Cătălina Bîrcă,
Bogdan Vasile,
Alina Maria Holban,
Ionela C. Voinea,
Miruna S. Stan,
Roxana Trușcă,
Alexandru Mihai Grumezescu,
George-Alexandru Croitoru
Affiliations
Ioana Adelina Pirușcă
Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, 011061 Bucharest, Romania
Paul Cătălin Balaure
Department of Organic Chemistry, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, 011061 Bucharest, Romania
Valentina Grumezescu
Lasers Department, National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 077125 Magurele, Romania
Stefan-Andrei Irimiciuc
Lasers Department, National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 077125 Magurele, Romania
Ovidiu-Cristian Oprea
Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, 011061 Bucharest, Romania
Alexandra Cătălina Bîrcă
Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, 011061 Bucharest, Romania
Bogdan Vasile
Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, 011061 Bucharest, Romania
Alina Maria Holban
Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 77206 Bucharest, Romania
Ionela C. Voinea
Research Institute of the University of Bucharest—ICUB, University of Bucharest, 050663 Bucharest, Romania
Miruna S. Stan
Research Institute of the University of Bucharest—ICUB, University of Bucharest, 050663 Bucharest, Romania
Roxana Trușcă
Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, 011061 Bucharest, Romania
Alexandru Mihai Grumezescu
Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, 011061 Bucharest, Romania
George-Alexandru Croitoru
Department II, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania
With the increasing use of invasive, interventional, indwelling, and implanted medical devices, healthcare-associated infections caused by pathogenic biofilms have become a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Herein, we present the fabrication, characterization, and in vitro evaluation of biocompatibility and anti-biofilm properties of new coatings based on Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) loaded with usnic acid (UA) and ceftriaxone (CEF). Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) was employed as a stabilizer and modulator of the polarity, dispersibility, shape, and anti-biofilm properties of the magnetite nanoparticles. The resulting Fe3O4 functionalized NPs, namely Fe3O4@SLS, Fe3O4@SLS/UA, and Fe3O4@SLS/CEF, respectively, were prepared by co-precipitation method and fully characterized by XRD, TEM, SAED, SEM, FTIR, and TGA. They were further used to produce nanostructured coatings by matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) technique. The biocompatibility of the coatings was assessed by measuring the cell viability, lactate dehydrogenase release, and nitric oxide level in the culture medium and by evaluating the actin cytoskeleton morphology of murine pre-osteoblasts. All prepared nanostructured coatings exhibited good biocompatibility. Biofilm growth inhibition ability was tested at 24 h and 48 h against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa as representative models for Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The coatings demonstrated good biocompatibility, promoting osteoblast adhesion, migration, and growth without significant impact on cell viability or morphology, highlighting their potential for developing safe and effective antibacterial surfaces.
