C. Lo Porto, et al. On the plasma deposition of vancomycin-containing nano-capsules for drug-delivery applications. Plasma Process Polym.

C. Lo Porto, F. Palumbo, J. Buxadera-Palomero, C, Canal, P. Jelinek, L. Zajickova, P. Favia. On the plasma deposition of vancomycin-containing nano-capsules for drug-delivery applications. Plasma Process Polym. 2018;e1700232.

doi: doi.org/10.1002/ppap.201700232

Abstract

Aerosol‐assisted atmospheric pressure plasma allows for a one‐step synthesis of vancomycin‐containing nano‐capsules. Morphological and chemical analyses are carried out to estimate how different discharge parameters affect the plasma deposition process. Nano‐capsules size and abundance largely depend on the shell precursor content in the gas feed and on the drug concentration in the aerosol solution. Based on these results a deposition mechanism is proposed, where, interestingly, the key step is the formation of the nano‐capsules in the plasma phase. Furthermore, the related antibacterial activity is proved against Staphylococcus aureus. Preliminary release tests indicate the possible exploitation of the plasma‐deposited vancomycin‐containing nano‐capsules in the drug delivery field, and systems based on other bioactive molecules can be expected.