Preparation of extracellular matrix materials with antibacterial activity through incorporating biosynthesized ZnO nanoparticles

Abstract

Extracellular matrix (ECM) with excellent biocompatibility is an ideal biomaterial for tissue repair. However, naturally derived ECM is inefficient in preventing wound infections caused by bacterial invasion. Therefore, developing ECM materials with antibacterial activity is crucial for tissue regeneration. In this work, ZnO–TA nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by using tannic acid (TA) and zinc chloride, with an average size of 26.3 nm as investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Compared to pure ZnO NPs, ZnO–TA NPs have improved dispersibility and lower cytotoxicity. Then, ECM composites were prepared by modifying acellular fish swim bladders (AFSBs) with different concentrations of ZnO–TA NPs and pure ZnO NPs, respectively. Results show that the ZnO–TA NPs are distributed more uniformly in the AFSBs with a longer release behavior. According to the in vitro antibacterial and biocompatibility experiments, ZnO–TA NP-modified AFSBs can maintain sufficient antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis after 14 and 21 days, respectively, demonstrating a longer-lasting antibacterial activity along with a lower biotoxicity compared with pure ZnO NP-modified AFSBs. These findings suggest that the introduction of biosynthesized ZnO NPs is a promising strategy to improve the antibacterial activity of AFSBs for biomedical applications.