Biocomposites of Silk-Elastin and Essential Oil from Mentha piperita Display Antibacterial Activity

Abstract

In this study, novel antimicrobial biocomposite films comprising a genetically engineered silk-elastin protein polymer (SELP) and essential oil from Mentha piperita (MP EO ) have been fabricated and tested for the antibacterial performance. SELP/MP EO biocomposite films were prepared by solvent casting using water as the solvent and aqueous emulsions of MP EO at different concentrations. Emulsions of MP EO were investigated, showing that the mixing method, relative amount of surfactant, and the presence of SELP influence particle size and homogeneity. The aqueous emulsions of SELP/MP EO were characterized by a population of particles between 100 and 300 nm, depending on the MP EO concentration. The emulsified oil droplets at the highest concentration showed to be homogeneously distributed into the SELP matrix and demonstrated antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli , Bacillus subtilis , and Staphylococcus aureus . Moreover, the antibacterial activity of the biocomposite films was retained after a period of storage for 7 days at 4 °C. The formulation of composites comprising natural active fillers and recombinant protein polymers opens opportunities to develop new green, functional biocomposite materials, paving the way for a new generation of multifunctional materials.

Using Amphiphilic Polymer Micelles as the Templates of Antisolvent Crystallization to Produce Drug Nanocrystals

“…Then, a certain volume of solution was sampled every 24 h for PSD and zeta potential measurements using a ZEN 3690 DLS system (Malvern Instruments, Malvern, UK). Each measurement was repeated three times …”

“…Each measurement was repeated three times. 63 The disassembly of CPT-loaded micelles triggered by pH was investigated by monitoring the change of their size. Briefly, CPT-loaded micelles of 1 mg/mL were incubated in buffer solution at pH 1.2, 6.5, and 7.4.…”

Lyophilized Emulsions of Thymol and Eugenol Essential Oils Encapsulated in Cellulose

“…Essential oils (EOs) are natural compounds present in aromatic and medicinal plants known for their antimicrobial and pesticidal activities and have been the subject of many studies [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. EOs are safe for humans, animals, and the environment, and are used in many applications, including food, cosmetics, personal protective preparations, pharmaceutics, and agriculture [4,[11][12][13]. For example, polymer nanofibers containing an inclusion complex of prochloraz in hydroxypropyl-γ-cyclodextrin was recently reported [14].…”

Optically Clear Silk Fibroin Films with Tunable Properties for Potential Corneal Tissue Engineering Applications: A Process–Property–Function Relationship Study

“…Among them, silk fibroin (SF)-based biomaterials are getting attention in recent times owing to the various advantages, viz. abundance availability, amenability of processing in aqueous and organic solvents, attractive chemistry for functionalization, ease of developing various forms of articles like films and porous sponges, proven biocompatibility with low immunogenic reaction, tunable mechanical and degradation properties, and excellent optical properties. − SF from Bombyx mori consists of three protein subunits, viz. a heavy chain of about 350 kDa, a light chain of about 26 kDa, and glycoprotein P25 of about 30 kDa .…”