Elpida Zormpa

Master student

Fabrication of composite coatings based on chitosan complexes and Bioactive glasses with phytotherapeutic drugs via Electrophoretic Deposition

 

Supervisors: Muhammad Asim Akhtar, Prof. Aldo R. Boccaccini

One of the largest problems associated with current metallic implants for bone replacements is the risk of microbial infection. Administration of antibiotics proves to not be a long-term solution due to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (1,2). Therefore, recent research attempts focus on providing an intrinsic antibacterial effect to the implant’s coating by incorporating non-antibiotic antibacterial agents and nature-derived drugs [1,3, 4]. In this project we will produce composite coatings of Chitosan complexes combined with bioactive glass nanoparticles loaded with phytotherapeutic drugs on 316L substrates using electrophoretic deposition (EPD) process [4]. The project will involve the optimization of the coating process, characterization of the produced coatings and in-vitro biological assessment of the synergistic effect of phytotherapeutic druges and bioactive glass additions.

[1] Filipović, U.; Dahmane, R. G.; Ghannouchi, S.; Zore, A.; Bohinc, K. Bacterial Adhesion on Orthopedic Implants. Adv. Colloid Interface Sci. 2020, 283, 1–12.

[2] Li, B.; Webster, T. J. Bacteria Antibiotic Resistance: New Challenges and Opportunities for Implant-Associated Orthopedic Infections. J. Orthop. Res. 2018, 36 (1), 22–32.

[3] Jang, Y. S.; Mosolygó, T. Inhibition of Bacterial Biofilm Formation by Phytotherapeutics with Focus on Overcoming Antimicrobial Resistance. Curr. Pharm. Des. 2020, 26 (24), 2807–2816.

[4] Akhtar, M. A., et al., Electrophoretic deposition of ferulic acid loaded bioactive glass/chitosan as antibacterial and bioactive composite coatings. Surface and Coatings Technology
2021, 405, 126657.