Antimicrobial peptides-coated stainless steel for fighting biofilms formation for food and medical fields: Review of literature

Abstract

Emerging technology regarding antimicrobial coatings contributes to fighting the chal-lenge of pathogenic bacterial biofilms in medical and agri-food environments. Stainless steel is a material widely used in those fields since it has satisfying mechanical properties, but it, unfortu-nately, lacks the required bio-functionality, rendering it vulnerable to bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation. Therefore, this review aims to present the coatings developed by employing biocides grafted on stainless steel. It also highlights antimicrobial peptides (AMPs)used to coat stainless steel, particularly nisin, which is commonly accepted as a safe alternative to prevent pathogenic biofilm development.