Antibacterial Activity of Zinc Modified Titanium Oxide Surface

Abstract

Titanium-based implants are successfully used for various biomedical applications. However, in some cases, e.g. in dental implants, failures due to bacterial colonization are reported. Surface modification is a commonly proposed strategy to prevent infections. In this work, titanium oxide, naturally occurring on the surface of titanium, was modified by promoting the formation of a mixed titanium and zinc oxide, on the basis of the idea that zinc oxide on titanium surface may act as the zinc oxide used in pharmaceutical formulation for its lenitive and antibacterial effects. The present work shows that it is possible to form a mixed titanium and zinc oxide on titanium surfaces, as shown by Scanning Electron Microscopy and XPS analysis. To this end titanium was preactivated by UV on crystalline titanium oxide, both in the anatase form or in the co-presence of anatase and rutile. By performing antibacterial assays, we provide evidence of a significant reduction in the viability of five streptococcal oral strains on titanium oxide surfaces modified with zinc. In conclusion, this type of chemical modification of titanium oxide surfaces with zinc might be considered a new way to reduce the risk of bacterial colonization, increasing the lifetime of dental system applications.

Antimicrobial dental implant functionalization strategies —A systematic review

“…Petrini et al (2006) found a transitory increase in hydrophilicity and significantly increased Zn binding capacity, which in turn led to a significant reduction in three oral streptococcal strains on TiO 2 surfaces illuminated with UV light 114) . In an in vitro study under static and dynamic conditions, UVA illumination prior to bacterial colonization induced a reduction in adhesion rates and a significant decrease in the adhesion strength of S. epidermidis and S. aureus, without altering biocompatibility 132) .…”

“…Additionally, ion-implanted surfaces may act bactericidally, as the ions may inhibit bacterial metabolism [108][109][110][111][113][114][115][116][117][118] . Chemical modification of anodically oxidized titanium by incorporation of ions reduces growth of biofilm in one, two and three species models of E. coli 164) , P. gingivalis 131) , S. mutans 125) , S. aureus 165) and A. acti nomycetemcomitans 110,111,119) .…”

Biocompatibility and Anti-Bacterial Activity of Zn-Containing HA/TiO2 Hybrid Coatings on Ti Substrate

“…The cells attached on the layers were fixed with 2.5% glutaraldehyde in 0.1M cacodylic acid buffer (pH7. 4) overnight. At 4ºC, the fixed specimens were then dehydrated in an ethanol series (30%, 50%, 70%, 95% and 100%) for 10min each, immersed in isoamyl acetate for 1.5min, a critical point drying fluid and sputter-coated with a thin layer of Au-Pd.…”

Alginate Biopolymer Coatings Obtained by Electrophoretic Deposition on Ti15Mo Alloy

“…Zinc is a good antibacterial agent, its presence stimulates bone growth, promotes osseointegration, and its deciency is associated with de-(919) velopment of osteoporosis [11,12]. Also high isoelectric point of zinc oxide (pH = 9.5), which is responsible for the electrostatic immobilization of enzymes at physiological pH, has made it attractive for biomedical applications [13].…”