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Antimicrobial Materials with Medical Applications

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 September 2021) | Viewed by 16275

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of the journals IJMS and Molecules entitled “Antimicrobial Materials with Medical Applications" will cover a selection of recent research and review articles in the field of antimicrobial materials and their medical applications.

Infections diseases are a continuous threat to human health. New methods for the appropriate use of disinfectants and antibiotics have been developed to reduce the microbial activity, associated infections and the increase of Antimicrobial Resistance. Thus the healthcare sector is facing a totally new challenge. Potential and promising weapons against bacterial growth and the development of multi-drug resistant bacteria have been found in new Antimicrobial Materials.

The research on the design and development of new antimicrobial materials and their medical application (such as antimicrobial surfaces, medical devices, contact lens, package materials etc), bring together stakeholders from different disciplines. The reader of this special issue will gain an appreciation of the real role of antimicrobial materials and their medical applications.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

Prof. Dr. Sotiris Hadjikakou
Dr. Christina N. Banti
Dr. Andreas K. Rossos
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Antimicrobial drugs
  • Disinfectants materials
  • Medical applications
  • Medical devices
  • Package materials
  • Hygiene practices
  • Cleaning
  • Antimicrobial resistance

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 1762 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Selected Essential Oils Applied to Non-Woven Viscose on Bacteria That Cause Lower Urinary Tract Infections—Preliminary Studies
by Emilia Frydrysiak, Alina Kunicka-Styczyńska, Krzysztof Śmigielski and Michał Frydrysiak
Molecules 2021, 26(22), 6854; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26226854 - 13 Nov 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1786
Abstract
Inflammation of the lower urinary tract is a very common problem, which occurs particularly in women. A concept of a biotextronics system for preventive and support treatment of lower urinary tract inflammations was presented. The system includes a non-woven viscose insert for essential [...] Read more.
Inflammation of the lower urinary tract is a very common problem, which occurs particularly in women. A concept of a biotextronics system for preventive and support treatment of lower urinary tract inflammations was presented. The system includes a non-woven viscose insert for essential oils application. The oils were deposited on the non-woven viscose and incubated in the temperature of 37 °C and served a model for their action in the vapor phase as the element of the biotextronics system. The essential oils used in the research were the following: chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.), sage (Salvia officinalis L. and Salvia lavandulaefolia), juniper (Juniperus communis L.), thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.), and mixtures of chamomile oil with oils of each sage species in a 1:1 ratio. The oils were tested against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, and Enterococcus faecalis. The best inhibitory effect in vapor phase was noted for chamomile essential oil at the lowest concentration (0.054 µL/cm3). Both mixtures of chamomile and sage acted antagonistically, lowering the antibacterial activity of the individual oils applied solely. Juniper and Salvia officinalis essential oils at the concentrations tested increased the growth of at least one of the bacteria tested. Salvia lavandulaefolia Vahl. essential oil inhibited all bacteria, only at the concentration 0.214 µL/cm3. The thyme oil, at the concentration 0.054 µL/cm3, reduced the growth of all bacterial species tested. Chamomile and thyme essential oils were chosen for further research in the biotextronics pantiliner system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Materials with Medical Applications)
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11 pages, 7011 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Efficiency of Polymerization, Surface Roughness, Porosity and Adaptation of Flowable and Sculptable Bulk Fill Composite Resins
by Elizabeta Gjorgievska, Daniel S. Oh, Daewon Haam, Dragana Gabric and Nichola J. Coleman
Molecules 2021, 26(17), 5202; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26175202 - 27 Aug 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2164
Abstract
A new category of commercial bulk fill composite resins (CRs) enables the placement of 4-mm-thick layers as an alternative to the traditional time-consuming incremental technique. The purpose of the present study was to compare the efficiency of the polymerization, adaptation and porosity of [...] Read more.
A new category of commercial bulk fill composite resins (CRs) enables the placement of 4-mm-thick layers as an alternative to the traditional time-consuming incremental technique. The purpose of the present study was to compare the efficiency of the polymerization, adaptation and porosity of two high-viscosity ‘sculptable’ bulk fill CRs (Filtek™ Bulk Fill (3M™ ESPE, St. Paul, MN, USA) and Tetric EvoCeram® Bulk Fill (Ivoclar Vivadent AG, Schwan, Liechtenstein)) and two low-viscosity ‘flowable’ bulk fill CRs (SureFil® SDR™ flow (Dentsply Sirona, Charlotte, NC, USA) and Tetric EvoFlow® Bulk Fill (Ivoclar Vivadent AG, Schaan, Liechtenstein)). Cylindrical samples of the bulk fill CRs (4 mm height × 10 mm diameter) were analyzed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Additionally, occlusal cavities were prepared in twelve extracted human molars and restored with the bulk fill CRs (n = 3 for each CR). The adaptation and porosity of the bulk fill CRs were evaluated by X-ray microcomputed tomography (µCT) with a 3D morphometric analysis, and the adaptation was also analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) on longitudinal vestibulo-oral sections of the restored teeth. The AFM analysis demonstrated that the surface roughness of the SureFil® SDR™ flow was higher than that of the Tetric EvoFlow® Bulk Fill and that the surface roughness of Filtek™ Bulk Fill was higher than that of Tetric EvoCeram® Bulk Fill. µCT and SEM confirmed that the flowable bulk fill CRs had excellent adaptation to the cavity walls. The 3D morphometric analysis showed the highest and lowest degrees of porosity in Filtek™ Bulk Fill and Tetric EvoFlow® Bulk Fill, respectively. In general, the flowable bulk fill CRs exhibited better adaptation, a higher efficiency of polymerization and lower porosity than the sculptable materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Materials with Medical Applications)
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14 pages, 3681 KiB  
Article
Silver Nanoparticles Using Eucalyptus or Willow Extracts (AgNPs) as Contact Lens Hydrogel Components to Reduce the Risk of Microbial Infection
by Andreas K. Rossos, Christina N. Banti, Panagiotis K. Raptis, Christina Papachristodoulou, Ioannis Sainis, Panagiotis Zoumpoulakis, Thomas Mavromoustakos and Sotiris K. Hadjikakou
Molecules 2021, 26(16), 5022; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26165022 - 19 Aug 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1936
Abstract
Eucalyptus leaves (ELE) and willow bark (WBE) extracts were utilized towards the formation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs(ELE), AgNPs(WBE)). AgNPs(ELE) and AgNPs(WBE) were dispersed in polymer hydrogels to create pHEMA@AgNPs(ELE)_2 and pHEMA@AgNPs(WBE)_2 using hydroxyethyl-methacrylate (HEMA). The materials were characterized in a solid state by [...] Read more.
Eucalyptus leaves (ELE) and willow bark (WBE) extracts were utilized towards the formation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs(ELE), AgNPs(WBE)). AgNPs(ELE) and AgNPs(WBE) were dispersed in polymer hydrogels to create pHEMA@AgNPs(ELE)_2 and pHEMA@AgNPs(WBE)_2 using hydroxyethyl-methacrylate (HEMA). The materials were characterized in a solid state by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction analysis (XRPD), thermogravimetric differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), differential scanning calorimetry (DTG/DSC) and attenuated total reflection spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and ultraviolet visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy in solution. The antimicrobial potential of the materials was investigated against the Gram-negative bacterial strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) and the Gram-positive bacterial strain of the genus Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), which are involved in microbial keratitis. The percentage of bacterial viability of P. aeruginosa and S. epidermidis upon their incubation over the pHEMA@AgNPs(ELE)_2 discs is interestingly low (28.3 and 6.8% respectively), while the inhibition zones (IZ) formed are 12.3 ± 1.7 and 13.2 ± 1.2 mm, respectively. No in vitro toxicity of this material towards human corneal epithelial cells (HCEC) was detected. Despite its low performance against S. aureus, pHEMA@AgNPs(ELE)_2 could be an efficient candidate towards the development of contact lenses that reduces microbial infection risk. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Materials with Medical Applications)
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11 pages, 557 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Ruthenium(II) N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes as Antibacterial Agents and Inhibitors of Bacterial Thioredoxin Reductase
by Hilke Burmeister, Pascal Dietze, Lutz Preu, Julia E. Bandow and Ingo Ott
Molecules 2021, 26(14), 4282; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26144282 - 15 Jul 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2329
Abstract
A series of ruthenium(II) complexes with N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands of the general type (arene)(NHC)Ru(II)X2 (where X = halide) was prepared, characterized, and evaluated as antibacterial agents in comparison to the respective metal free benzimidazolium cations. The ruthenium(II) NHC complexes generally [...] Read more.
A series of ruthenium(II) complexes with N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands of the general type (arene)(NHC)Ru(II)X2 (where X = halide) was prepared, characterized, and evaluated as antibacterial agents in comparison to the respective metal free benzimidazolium cations. The ruthenium(II) NHC complexes generally triggered stronger bacterial growth inhibition than the metal free benzimidazolium cations. The effects were much stronger against Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus) than against Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa), and all complexes were inactive against the fungus Candida albicans. Moderate inhibition of bacterial thioredoxin reductase was confirmed for selected complexes, indicating that inhibition of this enzyme might be a contributing factor to the antibacterial effects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Materials with Medical Applications)
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15 pages, 3635 KiB  
Article
Bacterial Adhesion of Streptococcus mutans to Dental Material Surfaces
by Mirjam Kozmos, Petra Virant, Franc Rojko, Anže Abram, Rebeka Rudolf, Peter Raspor, Anamarija Zore and Klemen Bohinc
Molecules 2021, 26(4), 1152; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26041152 - 21 Feb 2021
Cited by 31 | Viewed by 3429
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate and understand bacterial adhesion to different dental material surfaces like amalgam, Chromasit, an Co-Cr alloy, an IPS InLine ceramic, yttrium stabilized tetragonal polycrystalline zirconia (TPZ), a resin-based composite, an Au-Pt alloy, and a tooth. For [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to investigate and understand bacterial adhesion to different dental material surfaces like amalgam, Chromasit, an Co-Cr alloy, an IPS InLine ceramic, yttrium stabilized tetragonal polycrystalline zirconia (TPZ), a resin-based composite, an Au-Pt alloy, and a tooth. For all materials, the surface roughness was assessed by profilometry, the surface hydrophobicity was determined by tensiometry, and the zeta potential was measured by electrokinetic phenomena. The arithmetic average roughness was the lowest for the TPZ ceramic (Ra = 0.23 µm ± 0.02 µm), while the highest value was observed for the Au-Pt alloy (Ra = 0.356 µm ± 0.075 µm). The hydrophobicity was the lowest on the TPZ ceramic and the highest on the Co-Cr alloy. All measured streaming potentials were negative. The most important cause of tooth caries is the bacterium Streptococcus mutans, which was chosen for this study. The bacterial adhesion to all material surfaces was determined by scanning electron microscopy. We showed that the lowest bacterial extent was on the amalgam, whereas the greatest extent was on tooth surfaces. In general, measurements showed that surface properties like roughness, hydrophobicity and charge have a significant influence on bacterial adhesion extent. Therefore, dental material development should focus on improving surface characteristics to reduce the risk of secondary caries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Materials with Medical Applications)
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15 pages, 3028 KiB  
Article
Designing New Antibacterial Wound Dressings: Development of a Dual Layer Cotton Material Coated with Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)_Chitosan Nanofibers Incorporating Agrimonia eupatoria L. Extract
by Cláudia Mouro, Colum P. Dunne and Isabel C. Gouveia
Molecules 2021, 26(1), 83; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26010083 - 27 Dec 2020
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 3592
Abstract
Wounds display particular vulnerability to microbial invasion and infections by pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, to reduce the risk of wound infections, researchers have expended considerable energy on developing advanced therapeutic dressings, such as electrospun membranes containing antimicrobial agents. Among the most used antimicrobial agents, [...] Read more.
Wounds display particular vulnerability to microbial invasion and infections by pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, to reduce the risk of wound infections, researchers have expended considerable energy on developing advanced therapeutic dressings, such as electrospun membranes containing antimicrobial agents. Among the most used antimicrobial agents, medicinal plant extracts demonstrate considerable potential for clinical use, due primarily to their efficacy allied to relatively low incidence of adverse side-effects. In this context, the present work aimed to develop a unique dual-layer composite material with enhanced antibacterial activity derived from a coating layer of Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and Chitosan (CS) containing Agrimonia eupatoria L. (AG). This novel material has properties that facilitate it being electrospun above a conventional cotton gauze bandage pre-treated with 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyl-1-oxy free radical (TEMPO). The produced dual-layer composite material demonstrated features attractive in production of wound dressings, specifically, wettability, porosity, and swelling capacity. Moreover, antibacterial assays showed that AG-incorporated into PVA_CS’s coating layer could effectively inhibit Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) growth. Equally important, the cytotoxic profile of the dual-layer material in normal human dermal fibroblast (NHDF) cells demonstrated biocompatibility. In summary, these data provide initial confidence that the TEMPO-oxidized cotton/PVA_CS dressing material containing AG extract demonstrates adequate mechanical attributes for use as a wound dressing and represents a promising approach to prevention of bacterial wound contamination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Materials with Medical Applications)
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