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Abstract
Background: Infection control is a critical area of concern in healthcare, mainly owing to the rising incidence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Traditional antibacterial agents often face challenges, such as limited efficacy, toxicity, and the potential for resistance development. This necessitates innovative approaches to combat infections. Hydrogels are biocompatible hydrophilic polymeric materials that can deliver nanomedicines with complications. They have emerged as promising candidates for infection control applications. Incorporating nanotoxicity nanomaterials, especially curcumin-layered silver nanoparticles, significantly enhances the antibacterial properties of hydrogels, making them promising candidates for infection control applications.
Methods: The smart antimicrobial hydrogels were synthesised from Poluronic and curcumin-layered polyvinylpyrrolidone/silver nanoparticles via cold method. The required nanotoxicity nanoparticles were developed using a modified precipitation process. The nanoparticles were characterized by spectral, optical and morphological methods. The thermosensitive properties of hydrogels were characterized via the temperature water bathtub and the rheological method. The antimicrobial properties of the prototypes' were evaluated against pathogenic bacteria, including gram positive and gram negative strains.
Results: The characterization revealed that the incorporation of curcumin-layered silver nanoparticles significantly improved the hydrogels' antibacterial properties. The rheological assessments indicated enhanced thermosensitivity, allowing for better adaptability to physiological conditions. In antimicrobial tests, the hydrogels demonstrated substantial activity against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, with results indicating a reduction in bacterial viability by over 90% in treated samples compared to controls.
Conclusions: The smart antimicrobial curcumin/polyvinylpyrrolidone/silver nanoparticles encapsulated smart hydrogels were developed using the cold method. The nanoparticles were modified to the smart hydrogel's rheology properties and exhibited significant antimicrobial activity on gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The developed hydrogels will be helpful in infection control and wound dressing applications. Future studies should focus on evaluating the long-term stability and biocompatibility of these hydrogels in real-world applications
Recommended Citation
Kokkarachedu, Varaprasad; Araneda Cistemas, Matías; and Nicolás Valdés Gangas, Nicolás, "Smart hydrogels for infection control" (2025). Research Symposium. 167.
https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/somrs/2025/posters/167
Included in
Smart hydrogels for infection control
Background: Infection control is a critical area of concern in healthcare, mainly owing to the rising incidence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Traditional antibacterial agents often face challenges, such as limited efficacy, toxicity, and the potential for resistance development. This necessitates innovative approaches to combat infections. Hydrogels are biocompatible hydrophilic polymeric materials that can deliver nanomedicines with complications. They have emerged as promising candidates for infection control applications. Incorporating nanotoxicity nanomaterials, especially curcumin-layered silver nanoparticles, significantly enhances the antibacterial properties of hydrogels, making them promising candidates for infection control applications.
Methods: The smart antimicrobial hydrogels were synthesised from Poluronic and curcumin-layered polyvinylpyrrolidone/silver nanoparticles via cold method. The required nanotoxicity nanoparticles were developed using a modified precipitation process. The nanoparticles were characterized by spectral, optical and morphological methods. The thermosensitive properties of hydrogels were characterized via the temperature water bathtub and the rheological method. The antimicrobial properties of the prototypes' were evaluated against pathogenic bacteria, including gram positive and gram negative strains.
Results: The characterization revealed that the incorporation of curcumin-layered silver nanoparticles significantly improved the hydrogels' antibacterial properties. The rheological assessments indicated enhanced thermosensitivity, allowing for better adaptability to physiological conditions. In antimicrobial tests, the hydrogels demonstrated substantial activity against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, with results indicating a reduction in bacterial viability by over 90% in treated samples compared to controls.
Conclusions: The smart antimicrobial curcumin/polyvinylpyrrolidone/silver nanoparticles encapsulated smart hydrogels were developed using the cold method. The nanoparticles were modified to the smart hydrogel's rheology properties and exhibited significant antimicrobial activity on gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The developed hydrogels will be helpful in infection control and wound dressing applications. Future studies should focus on evaluating the long-term stability and biocompatibility of these hydrogels in real-world applications
