Preparation of a New Biocomposite Designed for Cartilage Grafting with Antibiofilm Activity

Abstract

New polymer-inorganic composites with antibiofilm features based on the granulated poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) and apatite materials were obtained using a standard hydraulic press. The study was performed in hydroxy- and fluorapatites doped with different amounts of silver ions and followed by heat treatment at 600 °C. The structural, morphological, and physicochemical properties were determined by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS), and transition electron microscopy (TEM). The antibacterial properties of the obtained materials were evaluated against Gram-negative pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli as well as against Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus epidermidis. The cytotoxicity assessment was carried out on the red blood cells (RBC) as a cell model for in vitro study. Moreover, the biofilm formation on the biocomposite surface was studied using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM).