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Antimicrobial silver-loaded polypropylene sutures modified by radiation-grafting

Abstract:

The aim of this work was to implement a radiation-grafting method for the surface functionalization of polypropylene (PP) suture threads with N-vinyl imidazole (NVI) for the subsequent loading of silver (Ag) particles onto the surface. Grafting of NVI required the previous grafting of hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) or N-isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAAm) to finally obtain the composite materials [(PP-g-HEMA)-g-NVI]/Ag and [(PP-g-NIPAAm)-g-NVI]/Ag. Functionalized PP monofilaments were characterized by FTIR-ATR, SEM, EDS, and TGA. Antimicrobial efficiency and cytocompatibility demonstrated a strong dependence on the amount of Ag immobilized on sutures surface. [(PP-g-HEMA)-g-NVI]/Ag and [(PP-g-NIPAAm)-g-NVI]/Ag filaments with contents in Ag ranging from 3 to 5 wt (%) combined antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and an adequate cytocompatibility. Overall, the implemented method may open an alternative way to design surgical suture threads that guarantee protection against opportunistic pathogens during wound healing.