Bovine submaxillary mucin coatings
Bovine submaxillary mucin (BSM) coatings are a surface treatment provided to biomaterials intended to reduce the growth of disadvantageous bacteria and fungi such as S. epidermidis, E. coli, and Candida albicans.
Survival and rejection of an implant are highly dependent on surface modifications that dictate the interfacial interaction between a material and the body.
Under an atomic force microscope, BSM appears as a composition of dumbbell shaped fibers at heights of approximately 1 nm.
When mixed into an aqueous solution, higher concentrations of mucin result in lower surface tension values.
These carbohydrates branch off of polypeptide chains in the form of oligosaccharides including N-acetylgalactosamine, N-acetylglucosamine, fucose, galactose, and sialic acid.
The repulsive forces applied by the mucin creates anti-adhesive properties which can suppress cell adhesion to surfaces.
At lower pH values and low ionic strength, the adsorbed amount of BSM to a surface increases.
Two considerations include reducing tissue reactivity, as in inflammatory and immune responses, and preventing the adsorption of particles, like bacteria.
These results make the BSM coatings appealing for use in biomedical applications where synthetic materials directly interface with tissues.
[4] Mucins are also considered useful in tissue related applications because they are natural and biological, can form hydrogels, show resistance to proteolytic degradation, and have good adhesion to surfaces while repelling molecules at the ambient solution interface.
While bacterial infections are common concerns in the medical, dental, and food industries, they are the primary cause of device failures in biological implants.
To combat this issue, BSM has been used as a coating for a poly(acrylic acid-b-methyl methacrylate) (PAA-b-PMMA) diblock copolymer.
BSM coatings are advantageous in mucoadhesive films, which release drugs to surrounding mucosal tissue after implantation.
[2] Just like the application above, the PAA polymer improved the adsorption of BSM on its surface to prevent bacterial adhesion and potential infection.
Mucin interaction with the pharmaceutical product itself and other proteins encountered in the body is vital for the drug delivery process.
Coatings are also synthesized, tested, and analyzed such that various proteins in the body do not adversely affect BSM adsorption and bacterial resistance.
These synergistic behaviors create effective gel matrices that are suitable for several biomedical applications, such as scaffolds, medical electrodes, and drug delivery systems.
