Cotton textiles improved with metal oxide nanoparticles acquire additional features that may enhance their action against antimicrobial-resistant pathogens due to the unique properties and characteristics of the nanoparticles. The main objective of this work is to evaluate the antimicrobial features of two-sided-coated cotton textiles with ZnO nanoparticles. Nanoparticles were deposited using green chemistry technology with low-temperature oxygen plasma. ZnO particles formed stable structures on textile fibers. The optimal deposition parameters (150 W plasma power, 120 min immersion time) achieved the best effects against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria and microscopic fungi. Two-sided-coated cotton with ZnO nanoparticles showed high antibacterial action on Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Modification with zinc oxide inhibited the growth of Candida albicans by more than half.

Medical face masks help to reduce the transmission of pathogens, however, the number of infections caused by antimicrobial-resistant pathogens continues to increase. The aim of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial effect of an experimental medical mask layer coated with copper oxide using an environmentally friendly non-thermal physical vapour deposition approach. Pure CuO nanoparticles were successfully deposited on the middle layer of a face mask. The particles were distributed in different size clusters (starting from less than 100 nm dots going up to about 1 µm cluster-like structures). The CuO clusters did not form uniform films, which could negatively influence airflow during use of the mask. We investigated the antimicrobial properties of the experimental mask layer coated with CuO NPs using 17 clinical and zoonotic strains of gram-negative, gram-positive, spore-forming bacteria and yeasts, during direct and indirect contact with the mask surface. The effectiveness of the coated mask layer depended on the deposition duration of CuO. The optimal time for deposition was 30 min, which ensured a bactericidal effect for both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, including antimicrobial-resistant strains, using 150 W power. The CuO NPs had little or no effect on Candida spp. yeasts.

Antibacterial textiles can help prevent infections from antimicrobial-resistant pathogens without using antibiotics. This work aimed to enhance the cotton fabric’s antimicrobial properties by depositing Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles on both sides of its surface. The nanoparticles were deposited using low-temperature plasma technology in a pure oxygen atmosphere, which is environmentally friendly. The Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles formed clusters on the fabric surface, rather than thin films that could reduce the airflow of the textile. The optimal conditions for the nanoparticle deposition were 200 W of plasma power, 120 min of immersion time, and 5 cm of Fe cathode–textile sample distance. The received antimicrobial textile was tested and the high efficiency of developed materials were successfully demonstrated against 16 microbial strains (Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungi).

Aim: ESBL-producing and bacterial biofilms-forming Escherichia coli are associated with antimicrobial treatment failure. This study aimed to investigate the phenotypic resistance mechanisms of CTX-...

Background: Dissemination of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli is closely associated with the worldwide spread of a single clone ST131, which is the main cause of urinary tract and bloodstream infections in patients from nursing homes and immunocompromised patients. The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of ST131 clone and the replicons involved in the spread of bla_CTX-M genes among O25b-ST131 CTX-M-producing E. coli isolates in Lithuania. Methods: The strains included in this study were screened for CTX-M β-lactamase-encoding genes, phylogenetic groups and ST131 clone by PCR. Bacterial conjugation was performed to identify plasmid replicon types responsible for bla_CTX-M genes dissemination. Results: A total of 158 E. coli clinical non-duplicate ESBL isolates were analyzed. Nearly half (n = 67, 42.4%) of the investigated E. coli isolates belonged to phylogenetic group B2. The isolates producing CTX-M-92 β-lactamases were identified to be the ST131 clone more frequently than the non-ST131 clone (11.5% vs. 3.1%, p = .035). The CTX-M-15 isolates were identified as ST131 isolates less frequently than non-ST131 isolates (50.8% vs. 71.1%; p = .015). The ST131 clone isolates contained type L/M and A/C replicons; a fused FII/FIB replicon was found in four isolates (23.5%). Type HI1 replicon was identified in ST131 E. coli isolates producing CTX-M-15 β-lactamases. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the predominance of the ST131 clone among CTX-M β-lactamase-producing E. coli isolates. Dissemination of bla_CTX-M genes in ST131 strains can be linked not only to highly adapted IncF plasmids such as FII/FIB and FII, but also to plasmid replicon types A/C, L/M and HI1.