HYBRID EVENT: You can participate in person at Hotel Occidental Aurelia, Via di Torre Rossa 80, 00165 Rome, Italy or Virtually from your home or work.

Francisca Acevedo

 

Francisca Acevedo

Universidad de La Frontera, Chile

Abstract Title: Advanced Antibacterial Nanocomposites Fibers for Biomedical Applications

Biography:

Dr. Francisca Acevedo, is associated academic at the Basic Sciences Department, Faculty of Medicine at Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile. She earned her Ph.D. in Sciences of Natural Resources at the Universidad de La Frontera. Her main research areas are related to the development of bioproducts for cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications. She has been involved in several R&D projects as director, principal and co-researcher, particularly in topics focusing on biomaterials and micro and nanoencapsulation of bioactive compounds.

Research Interest:

Wound infections pose major clinical challenges due to antibiotic resistance and recurrence, particularly involving Pseudomonas and Staphylococcus species. Electrospun nanofibrous dressings mimic the extracellular matrix and enable localized antibacterial delivery. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) offer broad-spectrum activity, while surface functionalization reduces cytotoxicity and enhances stability. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of polycaprolactone (PCL)/poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-electrospun fibers containing capped AgNPs for their potential use in biomedical applications. AgNPs were synthesized by chemical reduction using cysteine, citrate, diclofenac, or ketorolac as capping agents and assessed for in vitro antimicrobial activity. PCL/PEO-electrospun fibers incorporating capped AgNPs were fabricated, physicochemically characterized, and assessed for antimicrobial performance using standardized dynamic and contact-based microbiological assays. Among the nanoparticle formulations tested, diclofenac-capped AgNPs demonstrated the lowest minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) (18.8 mg/L) against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Electrospun nanofibers exhibited uniform morphology (PCL fiber thickness = 2.224 ± 0.707 µm, morphology index = 0.80; PEO fibers with diclofenac-capped AgNPs = 0.359 ± 0.080 µm, morphology index = 0.95) and preserved thermal stability (Tm = 62.09 °C; Td = 421.83 °C). FTIR spectroscopy confirmed molecular interactions between AgNPs and polymer matrices. Contact-killing assays demonstrated a significant reduction in viable bacterial counts for fibers containing diclofenac-capped AgNPs, from 5.13×10⁶ to 1.90×10⁶ CFU/mL for P. aeruginosa and from 8.60×10⁵ to 4.33×10⁵ CFU/mL for S. aureus, indicating a surface-mediated antibacterial mechanism. Overall, these PCL/PEO-electrospun fibers incorporating diclofenac-capped AgNPs emerged as promising candidates for biomedical wound-healing applications, particularly in the management of infected and antibiotic-resistant wounds.