The use of foliar sprays with silicon compounds is relatively new. Initially (in 1990) foliar sprays with silicates were used. In 2003, foliar sprays with (stabilized) silicic acid were introduced, and more recently foliar sprays with silica nanoparticles have also been applied. Foliar sprays with silicates are effective as pesticides, while (stabilized) silicic acid sprays increase growth and yield and decrease biotic and abiotic stresses. The limited data on foliar silica-nano sprays show a tendency to decrease biotic stress and to stimulate a limited increase in growth and yield.

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Introduction Oxidative tissue damage caused by reactive oxygen species results in a significant decrease in the total antioxidant capacity of the biological system. The aim of this interdisciplinary study was to answer the question of whether active antioxidants modify, at a molecular and supramolecular level, the tissue of pathological amnion and the necrotic eschar degraded in thermal burn. Methods A Nicolet 6700 Fourier-transform spectrophotometer with OMNIC software and the EasiDiff diffusion accessory were used in the FTIR spectroscopic analysis. A NICOLET MAGNA-IR 860 spectrometer with FT-Raman accessory was used to record the Raman spectra of the samples. The samples were exposed to bacteria capable of causing nosocomial infections, ie Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Whereas samples of hypotrophic amnion interacted with Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis . The obtained flame retardant effect of placentas was evaluated using the method of the limiting oxygen index (LOI). Results The infrared spectroscopy analysis proved that after modification of the amniotic samples in graphene oxide and ortho-silicic acid, the amide II band is split into two components. Incubation of samples in modifier solutions: graphene oxide, sodium ascorbate and L-ascorbic acid results in shifts and changes of intensity within the broadly understood lipid band 1743–1745–1747 cm −1 . The oxidising changes observed within the lipid and amide bands are affected by the incubation effect of graphene oxide as a modifier, possibly adsorbing on the surface of the amniotic membrane. On the basis of microbiological studies, pathogenic bacteria commonly causing amniotic infections and growing in burn wounds were found to have particularly good resistance to stabilized ortho-silicic acid ( E. coli ) and lactoferrin ( S.aureus ). Conclusion This thermogravimetric study found the highest stability of the analysed tissues (hypotrophic amnion and burnt epidermis) after modification with graphene oxide and sodium ascorbate.

The ortho-silicic acid (H4SiO4) plays an essential role in delivering silicon to body cells and the monomeric ortho-silicic acid is the most bioavailable source of silicon for humans. This study reveals that the ortho-silicic acid (OSA) modifies the tissue of a healthy and pathological hypotrophic amnion, thermal burn skin and, additionally, the OSA-incubated serum. Changes in the tissue modified by the ortho-silicic acid were traced on the molecular level with the use of FTIR spectroscopy. The most interesting area of tissue modification with the use of OSA acid solutions is the appearance of the 1085 cm–1 Si–O–Si band which is optimal for the 1:6000 OSA concentration. Microbiological studies aiming at anticipating anti-inflammatory and antibacterial bioactivity revealed that the skin samples and amniotic samples were characterised by good resistance to the following bacteria: Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli (medium growth inhibition zone: 0.5–4 mm). The present study determined the concentration and the composition of the solutions to be used in the future to create innovative modifiers (active dressings or new dietary supplements) enhancing tissue regeneration.