PLA and PBAT‐Based Electrospun Fibers Functionalized with Antibacterial Bio‐Based Polymers

• Published in: Macromolecular bioscience Vol. 23; no. 1; pp. e2200401 - n/a
• Main Authors: Chiloeches, A., Fernández‐García, R., Fernández‐García, M., Mariano, A., Bigioni, I., Scotto d'Abusco, A., Echeverría, C., Muñoz‐Bonilla, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.01.2023
• Subjects: Alkylation; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antibacterial activity; antimicrobial fibers; Azoles; Biocompatibility; Biodegradability; Biodegradation; Biological activity; Cations; Cell membranes; cell viability; Charge density; cytostatic effect; Cytotoxicity; Drug resistance; Electrospinning; Electrostatic properties; Fibers; Fibroblasts; Heterocyclic compounds; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; Hydrophobicity; poly(lactic) acid; Polyesters - pharmacology; Polylactic acid; Polymers; Polymers - pharmacology; Staphylococcus aureus; Wettability; antimicrobial fibers; cell viability; poly(lactic) acid; cytostatic effect; electrospinning
• ISSN: 1616-5187; 1616-5195
• DOI: 10.1002/mabi.202200401

Antimicrobial fibers based on biodegradable polymers, poly(lactic acid) (PLA), and poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) (PBAT) are prepared by electrospinning. For this purpose, a biodegradable/bio‐based polyitaconate containing azoles groups (PTTI) is incorporated at 10 wt.% into the electrospinning formulations. The resulting fibers functionalized with azole moieties are uniform and free of beads. Then, the accessible azole groups are subjected to N‐alkylation, treatment that provides cationic azolium groups with antibacterial activity at the surface of fibers. The positive charge density, roughness, and wettability of the cationic fibers are evaluated and compared with flat films. It is confirmed that these parameters exert an important effect on the antimicrobial properties, as well as the length of the alkylating agent and the hydrophobicity of the matrix. The quaternized PLA/PTTI fibers exhibit the highest efficiency against the tested bacteria, yielding a 4‐Log reduction against S. aureus and 1.7‐Log against MRSA. Then, biocompatibility and bioactivity of the fibers are evaluated in terms of adhesion, morphology and viability of fibroblasts. The results show no cytotoxic effect of the samples, however, a cytostatic effect is appreciated, which is ascribed to the strong electrostatic interactions between the positive charge at the fiber surface and the negative charge of the cell membranes. Bio‐based and biodegradable fiber mats based on PLA and PBAT with antibacterial activity are prepared by incorporating a polyitaconate derivative with cationic azolium groups into the electrospinning process. The obtained fibers exhibit high antibacterial efficiency against Gram‐positive bacteria, non‐cytotoxicity, and cytostatic effect on human fibroblast cells.