Biofilms are structured communities of microorganisms encased in a self-produced extracellular matrix, and they represent one of the most widespread forms of microbial life on Earth. Their presence poses serious challenges in both environmental and clinical settings. In natural and industrial systems, biofilms contribute to water contamination, pipeline corrosion, and biofouling. Clinically, biofilm-associated infections are responsible for approximately 80% of all microbial infections, including endocarditis, osteomyelitis, cystic fibrosis, and chronic sinusitis. A particularly critical concern is their colonization of medical devices, where biofilms can lead to chronic infections, implant failure, and increased mortality. Implantable devices, such as orthopedic implants, cardiac pacemakers, cochlear implants, urinary catheters, and hernia meshes, are highly susceptible to microbial attachment and biofilm development. These infections are often recalcitrant to conventional antibiotics and frequently necessitate surgical revision. In the United States, over 500,000 biofilm-related implant infections occur annually, with prosthetic joint infections alone projected to incur revision surgery costs exceeding USD 500 million per year—a figure expected to rise to USD 1.62 billion by 2030. To address these challenges, surface modification of medical devices has emerged as a promising strategy to prevent bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation. This review focuses on recent advances in chemical surface functionalization using non-antibiotic agents, such as enzymes, chelating agents, quorum sensing quenching factors, biosurfactants, oxidizing compounds and nanoparticles, designed to enhance antifouling and mature biofilm eradication properties. These approaches aim not only to prevent device-associated infections but also to reduce dependence on antibiotics and mitigate the development of antimicrobial resistance.

Strawberries and raspberries are susceptible to physiological and biological damage. Due to the consumer concern about using pesticides to control fruit rot, recent attention has been drawn to essential oils. Microbiological activity evaluations of different concentrations of tested EOs (cinnamon, clove, bergamot, rosemary and lemon; 10% DMSO-PBS solution was used as a diluent) against fruit rot fungal strains and a fruit-born human pathogen (Escherichia coli) indicated that the highest inhibition halos was found for pure cinnamon and clove oils; according to GC-MS analysis, these activities were due to the high level of the bioactive compounds cinnamaldehyde (54.5%) in cinnamon oil and eugenol (83%) in clove oil. Moreover, thermogravimetric evaluation showed they were thermally stable, with temperature peak of 232.0 °C for cinnamon and 200.6/234.9 °C for clove oils. Antibacterial activity evaluations of all tested EOs at concentrations from 5–50% (v/v) revealed a concentration of 10% (v/v) to be the minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration. The physicochemical analysis of fruits in an in vivo assay indicated that used filter papers doped with 10% (v/v) of cinnamon oil (stuck into the lids of plastic containers) were able to increase the total polyphenols and antioxidant activity in strawberries after four days, with it being easier to preserve strawberries than raspberries.

The microbiota in the oral cavity has a strict connection to its host. Its imbalance may determine oral diseases and can also have an impact on the systemic health. Probiotic strains may help in the restoration of a balanced condition. For this purpose, we screened the antibacterial and antiadhesive activities of many viable probiotic strains (Lactobacillus acidophilus PBS066, Lactobacillus crispatus LCR030, Lactobacillus gasseri LG050, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum PBS067, Limosilactobacillus reuteri PBS072, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus LRH020, Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BL050, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei LPC 1101, L. paracasei LPC 1082, and L. paracasei LPC 1114) against two main oral pathogens, Streptococcus mutans and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, involved in dental caries and periodontal disease development and progression. Considering both the agar overlay preventive and treatment models, seven probiotics determined greater inhibition zones against the tested pathogens. This behavior was further analyzed by the plate count method and scanning electron microscope imaging. L. plantarum PBS067, L. rhamnosus LRH020, L. paracasei LPC 1101, L. paracasei LPC 1082, and L. paracasei LPC 1114 prevent the growth and adhesion of oral pathogens in a strain-specific manner (p < 0.0001). These probiotics might be considered as an alternative effective adjuvant to improve oral and systemic well-being for future personalized treatments.

Nano- and micro-structuring of implantable materials constitute a promising approach to introduce mechanical contact guidance effect, drive cells colonization, as well as to prevent bacteria adhesion and biofilm aggregation, through antifouling topography. Accordingly, this paper aims to extend the application of e-beam surface texturing and nano-structuring to the beta titanium alloys, which are of great interest for biomedical implants because of the low Young modulus and the reduction of the stress shielding effect. The paper shows that surface texturing on the micro-scale (micro-grooves) is functional to a contact guidance effect on gingival fibroblasts. Moreover, nano-structuring, derived from the e-beam surface treatment, is effective to prevent microfouling. In fact, human fibroblasts were cultivated directly onto grooved specimens showing to sense the surface micro-structure thus spreading following the grooves’ orientation. Moreover, Staphylococcus aureus colonies adhesion was prevented by the nano-topographies in comparison to the mirror-polished control, thus demonstrating promising antifouling properties. Furthermore, the research goes into detail to understand the mechanism of microfouling prevention due to nano-topography and microstructure.