| Title |
Microfluidic synthesis of tetracycline-loaded chitosan nanoparticles for antibiofilm applications |
| Authors |
Abouhagger, Adei ; Gelumbickytė, Samanta ; Kirsnytė-Šniokė, Monika ; Kavleiskaja, Tatjana ; Stirkė, Arūnas ; Martins Antunes De Melo, Wanessa De Cassia |
| DOI |
10.1088/2053-1591/ae1d40 |
| Full Text |
|
| Is Part of |
Materials research express.. IOP Publishing Ltd. 2025, vol. 12, iss. 11, art. no. 115006, p. 1-14.. ISSN 2053-1591 |
| Keywords [eng] |
microfluidics ; chitosan–TPP ; nanoparticles ; drug encapsulation ; biofilm disruption ; antimicrobial delivery |
| Abstract [eng] |
This study presents a microfluidic approach for synthesizing tetracycline-loaded chitosan–tripolyphosphate (TPP) nanoparticles with tunable physicochemical properties for localized antibiofilm therapy. A custom-designed PDMS chip incorporating sequential micromixing chambers and a serpentine flow region enabled reproducible ionic crosslinking under controlled laminar flow, yielding quasi-spherical nanoparticles (132 ± 3 nm; PDI 0.178 ± 0.004) with a positive surface charge (+15.8 ± 0.3 mV) and 35% drug encapsulation efficiency. FTIR spectroscopy confirmed stable drug incorporation through electrostatic and hydrogen-bonding interactions. Functional assessment against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli biofilms demonstrated dose-dependent inhibition of metabolic activity and biomass accumulation. Compared to batch processing, the microfluidic approach enabled more consistent nanoparticle size distribution and improved reproducibility. These findings establish a flow-assisted nanomanufacturing platform for the production of bioactive chitosan-based carriers and highlight their potential in nanoscale therapeutic systems targeting biofilm-associated infections. |
| Published |
IOP Publishing Ltd |
| Type |
Journal article |
| Language |
English |
| Publication date |
2025 |
| CC license |
|
