ZN-CUO BASED NANOPARTICLES EXHIBIT ANTIBIOFILM ACTIVITY FOR TOPICAL OINTMENT AND URINARY CATHETERS

Increase in nosocomial infections and bacterial antibiotic resistance raises major concerns world-wide. Many of the hard to treat infections involve biofilm and this raises the need for innovative solutions. In the current study, the antibiofilm properties of novel Zn-doped CuO (Zn_0.12Cu_0.88O) nanoparticles (NPs) were examined on (i) topical ointment and (ii) urinary catheters. The NPs ointment was able to effectively reduce biofilm formation as well as eradicate existing biofilm of three common bacterial wound pathogens (S. aureus, S. epidermidis and P. aeruginosa). As for the urinary catheters, the NPs were coated and subsequently deposited on the catheter using the sonochemical method. The Zn-doped CuO coated catheters were found to display high antibiofilm activity against S. aureus, E. coli and P. mirabilis, respectively, compared to uncoated catheters in an in vitro flow model. The coated catheters displayed promising biocompatibility as assessed in vitro by low cytotoxicity, negligible associated cytokine secretion and no detectable irritation. The ability of the Zn-doped CuO coating to inhibit biofilm formation in vivo was evaluated using a rabbit model. Rabbits catheterized with uncoated catheters scored positive for CAUTI by the fourth day while rabbits catheterized with Zn-doped CuO coated catheters did not exhibit CAUTI infection until day 7 or remained completely uninfected for the duration of the experiment (7 days). The in vivo biocompatibility assays also supported the biosafety of the Zn-doped CuO . Taken together, these data highlight the potential of Zn-doped CuO nanocomposites to serve as an effective antibiofilm compound.