Cytotoxicity and antibiofilm activity of SiO2/cellulose derivative hybrid materials containing silver nanoparticles

Authors: TSVETELINA ANGELOVA, NADEZHDA RANGELOVA, VESELINA UZUNOVA, NELLY GEORGIEVA, TONYA ANDREEVA, ALBENA MOMCHILOVA, RUMIANA TZONEVA, RUDOLF MÜLLER

Abstract: Hybrid materials based on tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), or hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) with silver nanoparticles were synthesized. They were analyzed and characterized using differential thermal analysis and thermogravimetry, atomic force microscopy, and static contact angle measurements. It was experimentally demonstrated that the silver-doped hybrid materials have pronounced antibacterial behavior by studying the reduction of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 biofilm formation on the tested materials. The results revealed biofilm reduction of 35.7% and 30% by SiO₂/HPC/2.5% Ag and SiO₂/HPMC/2.5% Ag hybrid materials, respectively, compared to the control. Cytotoxicity of examined materials and actin cytoskeleton organization of fibroblasts seeded on the materials was studied as a function of material properties as the type of surface functional groups and silver content. The obtained hybrid materials with low silver content proved efficient in tissue engineering applications since they showed good antibacterial and noncytotoxic properties for eukaryotic cells.

Keywords: Silver nanoparticles, silica hybrid materials, antibacterial activity, cytotoxicity, cell adhesion, tissue engineering

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