Promising Antibacterial Coverings for Catheters Made from Electrospun Polyhydroxyalkanoate Fibers that Incorporate Components from the Extra Virgin Olive Oil Production Cycle

Patients undergoing catheterization have a high risk of microbial infection (prosthetic infections PI) because of the possibility of the devices acting as a conduit for the transmission of bacteria to other organs. It is difficult to make nontoxic antimicrobial coatings with chemicals derived from renewable resources. Antibiotic drugs or, in the worst situations, a second surgery are now the mainstays of PI therapy, which has a significant impact on both patient recovery and health care costs. To combat this disease, it may be possible to produce an antimicrobial surface that contains extracts, derived from natural waste materials, and is able to reduce microbial colonization while avoiding the typical drug-resistance mechanism.<br/>We recently designed new coatings based on extra virgin olive oil extract (EVOO) and embedded them in biobased polymeric scaffolds consisting of fibers known as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to assess the polyphenolic content of the EVOO extracts. Subsequently, the extracts were integrated into PHA fibers, particularly in poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) fibers, by the use of the electrospinning technique. PHBHV is a naturally occurring polyester with excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability qualities that is made by a wide range of microorganisms. Using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) examination, the morphological characteristics of the novel EVOO/PHBHV were determined. Using representative PI bacteria (Gram + (Staphylococcus epiedrmidis) and Gram – (Pseudomonas aeruginosa), the extracts and the newly constructed nanofibers were assessed for their antimicrobial activity using the Agar Gel Immunodiffusion assay (Halo test). By using HPLC analysis, the diffusion of the primary phenolic compounds in PBS buffer was assessed at predetermined time intervals in order to examine the release of phenols from the polymer. Additionally, the Almar Blue assay was run to assess the novel biofibers' cytocompatibility. The analysis of the polyphenolic content of the EVOO extracts showed a significant concentration of significant polyphenols with antioxidant and antibacterial qualities, including pinoresinol, hydroxytyrosol, and tyrosol—all of which are found naturally in antimicrobial solutions. In actuality, the growth of bacteria was effectively inhibited by EVOO extracts. The resulting composite nanofibers EVOO/PHBHV had a repeatable shape and a uniform size of roughly 1-2 µm in diameter. When compared to EVOO extracts alone, the EVOO/PHVBH fibers demonstrated enhanced cytocompatibility and a progressive and comprehensive release of polyphenols over the course of 48 hours, all while maintaining the antibacterial activity. Due to their polyphenolic content, EVOO extracts showed encouraging antibacterial qualities and were added to particular PHVBH nanofibers in order to create new coating. These novel biodevices, namely the contrast PI, may find usage as antimicrobial coatings in biomedical applications. Funding for this study was provided by PON Research and Innovation - DM 1062/2021, 2014-2020.