A Multifunctional Bioactive Nanoscale Coating Deposited by Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Polymerization of Peppermint Essential Oil
Abstract
Implanted and indwelling medical devices remain challenged by infection, oxidative stress, and chronic inflammation, underscoring the need for multifunctional surface coatings to holistically address these complications. Peppermint essential oil is inherently antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory, yet its integration into stable, contact-active coatings is limited by fabrication constraints. Here, we present a one-step atmospheric pressure plasma polymerisation process that converts peppermint essential oil into a conformal, cross-linked coating that preserves precursor-derived functional groups that drive broad bioactivity. While the coating is substrate-independent, we evaluate its bioactive performance within the context of bladder catheterisation as a pilot application. It scavenges up to 90% of reactive species, reduces pro-inflammatory cytokine expression by up to 60%, and increases anti-inflammatory cytokines by up to 50%, while promoting macrophage polarisation toward an M2 phenotype. The coating exhibits intrinsic antibacterial activity, reducing viable bacteria by 90% (Live/Dead) and 70% (CFUs), attributed to membrane disruption of Gram-negative pathogens. In turn, this interaction potentiates the activity of colistin and levofloxacin, two antibiotics used in catheter-associated urinary tract infection management. Together, these findings establish a stable, multifunctional coating capable of mitigating infection, alleviating inflammation, and enhancing…
Read the paper
Related studies
- Association of lower urinary tract symptoms and OAB severity with quality of life and mental health in China, Taiwan and South Korea: results from a cross-sectional, population-based study
- Ten-Day Quadruple Therapy Comprising Low-Dose Rabeprazole, Bismuth, Amoxicillin, and Tetracycline Is an Effective and Safe First-Line Treatment for Helicobacter pylori Infection in a Population with High Antibiotic Resistance: a Prospective, Multicenter, Randomized, Parallel-Controlled Clinical Trial in China
- The Role of the NLR and PLR in Urinary Tract Infection
- Threat of Antimicrobial Resistance among Pilgrims with Infectious Diseases during Hajj: Lessons Learnt from COVID-19 Pandemic
- Leclercia adecarboxylata urinary tract infection in a patient with bladder cancer and recurrent hematuria
- A Case Series of Staphylococcus lugdunensis Infection in Cancer Patients at an Academic Cancer Institute in the United States
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.