Durable bio-based nanocomposite coating on urinary catheters prevents early-stage CAUTI-associated pathogenicity

Abstract

Recurrent catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) in catheterized patients, increase their morbidity and hospital stay at substantial costs for healthcare systems. Hence, novel and efficient strategies for mitigating CAUTIs are needed. In this work, we engineered a bio-based nanocomposite coating with bactericidal, antibiofilm and antioxidant properties on commercial silicone catheters using a combined ultrasound/nanoparticles (NPs) driven coating approach. This approach integrates citronellal-loaded lauryl gallate NPs (CLG_NPs), as both antimicrobial and structural elements, with chitosan (CS), in a substrate-independent sonochemical coating process. The hybrid CS/CLG_NPs coating showed pH-dependent citronellal release, strong antibacterial activity towards the common CAUTI pathogens Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, alongside strong antioxidant activity, and biocompatibility to fibroblast and keratinocytes. Moreover, the nano-enabled coating significantly mitigated bacterial biofilm formation after a week in a simulated human bladder environment, outperforming the commercially-available silicone catheters. These results underscore the potential of the novel biopolymer nanocomposites obtained by ultrasound coating technology, offering a straightforward antimicrobial/antibiofilm solution for indwelling medical devices.