Isoflavonoid-Antibiotic Thin Films Fabricated by MAPLE with Improved Resistance to Microbial Colonization

• Main Authors: Valentina Grumezescu, Irina Negut, Rodica Cristescu, Alexandru Mihai Grumezescu, Alina Maria Holban, Florin Iordache, Mariana Carmen Chifiriuc, Roger J. Narayan, Douglas B. Chrisey
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-06-01
• Series: Molecules
• Subjects: luteone; wighteone; isoflavonoid; polyvinylpyrrolidone; ceftriaxone; cefuroxime
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/12/3634

<i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (Gram-positive) and <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> (Gram-negative) bacteria represent major infectious threats in the hospital environment due to their wide distribution, opportunistic behavior, and increasing antibiotic resistance. This study reports on the deposition of polyvinylpyrrolidone/antibiotic/isoflavonoid thin films by the matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) method as anti-adhesion barrier coatings, on biomedical surfaces for improved resistance to microbial colonization. The thin films were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, infrared microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. In vitro biological assay tests were performed to evaluate the influence of the thin films on the development of biofilms formed by Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains. In vitro biocompatibility tests were assessed on human endothelial cells examined for up to five days of incubation, via qualitative and quantitative methods. The results of this study revealed that the laser-fabricated coatings are biocompatible and resistant to microbial colonization and biofilm formation, making them successful candidates for biomedical devices and contact surfaces that would otherwise be amenable to contact transmission.