Multifunctional Coatings on Implant Materials—A Systematic Review of the Current Scenario

The challenges and demands of implant materials are changing as a result of the substantial expansion in the global population. Suitable implants are required for aged people, physical injuries, patients who need revised surgeries, contaminated implants, and accident victims. Hence, the requirement for implants is drastically increasing day by day. Metals, ceramics, and polymers are used as implant materials by biomedical industries for long-term suffering patients. Stainless steel, titanium and its alloys, aluminum alloys, cobalt, zirconium, etc. (metals), hydroxyapatite (ceramic), polyurethane, polyethylene, polyimide, etc. (polymers), are some of the examples that fulfill the implant requirements. There are many other obstructions, such as adhesion, inflammation, and bacterial attack, which minimize the implant’s performance and its activity. However, coatings on ideal implant materials are significant to avoid its failure and to enhance its durability and longevity. Advanced techniques, such as physical and chemical methods, are suitable coating approaches to promote the surface of implants with respect to mechanical, biological, and other multifunctional activities. This review paper focuses on and investigates several strategies for bioactive implants’ coatings, analysis, and emerging applications for biomedical industries

Advanced Alloys and Coatings for Bioimplants

Implant materials have significant requirements in medical industries due to orthopedic ailments of elders, fractures caused by accidents, sports injuries, bone replacements, revision in surgeries, change in lifestyle, etc [...

Efficacy of Graphene-Based Nanocomposite Gels as a Promising Wound Healing Biomaterial

The development of biocompatible nanocomposite hydrogels with effective wound healing/microbicidal properties is needed to bring out their distinguished characteristics in clinical applications. The positive interaction between graphene oxide/reduced graphene oxide (GO/rGO) and hydrogels and aloe vera gel represents a strong strategy for the advancement of therapeutic approaches for wound healing. In this study, the synthesis, characterization, and angiogenic properties of graphene-based nanocomposite gels have been corroborated and substantiated through several in vitro and in vivo assays. In this respect, graphene oxide was synthesized by incorporating a modified Hummer’s method and ascertained by Raman spectroscopy. The obtained GO and rGO were uniformly dispersed into the aloe vera gel and hydrogel, respectively, as wound healing materials. These formulations were characterized via in vitro bio-chemical techniques and were found suitable for the appropriate cell viability, attachment, and proliferation. In addition, in vivo experiments were conducted using male Wistar rats. This revealed that the GO/rGO-based gels stimulated wound contraction and re-epithelialization compared to that of the non-treatment group. From the study, it is suggested that GO/rGO-based aloe vera gel can be recommended as a promising candidate for wound healing applications

Photocatalytic activity and antibacterial efficacy of titanium dioxide nanoparticles mediated by Myristica fragrans seed extract

The synthesis of semiconductor metal/metal oxide nanoparticles (NP) via the green synthesis routes is desirable due to its effectiveness, economical, and eco-friendly nature of the products. The present study aims to synthesize the titanium dioxide (TiO2) NP via the green synthesis route, using Myristica fragrans plant extract as the reducing agent, where the photocatalytic activity was evaluated. The physicochemical and morphological properties of TiO2 NP have been analyzed using spectroscopic and electron microscopic techniques. From the analysis, the powdered X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicated the formation of very well crystalline TiO2 particles in the anatase phase, while the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed the presence of Ti[sbnd]O bonds, and UV–Vis spectroscopy proofed the optical properties. The field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) analysis provided the surface morphological characteristics and the formation of spherical shape particles; and the electron diffraction X-ray analysis (EDX) indicated the elemental composition. The photocatalytic activity of the TiO2 NP was evaluated based on the degradation rate of two aqueous dye solutions, i.e. methylene blue (MB) and congo red (Con-R) using the 8 W Xenon lamp as the light source for the visible irradiation. The degradation activity of the Con-R dye is slightly higher (99% degradation in 45 min) than that of the MB dye (97% degradation in 60 min). Both degradations activity followed the first-order kinetic model. The high activity of TiO2 NP on both dyes was supported by the increased absorption of light, associated charge separation efficiency, and specific surface area as provided by the UV–Vis DRS analysis. The plant extract mediated the synthesis of TiO2 which formed stable particles without losing the semiconducting and photocatalytic properties, where the holes (h+) and superoxide radicals ([rad]O2-) contributed to the enhanced degradation of dye. The antibacterial activity of the TiO2 NP (50 and 100 µg/mL; 6 h) synthesized was evaluated by testing against two different bacterial cultures of K. pneumoniae and S. aureus. The results proved that the particles became active only in the presence of UV light exposed and no significant differences in bacterial inhibition efficiency between the two cell types (79% and 72%) as observed. The antibacterial activity of the TiO2 NP was proven by the epifluorescence microscopic analysis, total viable count (TVC), and zone of inhibition (ZOI)