Synthesis of Mesoporous Catechin Nanoparticles as Biocompatible Drug-Free Antibacterial Mesoformulation

Abstract

While polyphenolic substances stand as excellent antibacterial agents, their antimicrobial properties rely on the auxiliary support of micro-/nanostructures. Despite offering a novel avenue for enhancing polymer performance, controllable fabrication of mesoporous polymeric nanomaterials encounters significant challenges due to intricate intermolecular forces. In this article, mesoporous catechin nanoparticles have been successfully fabricated using a balanced multivariate interaction approach. The harmonization of the water–ethanol ratio and ionic strength effectively balances the forces of hydrogen bonding and π–π stacking, facilitating the controlled assembly of mesostructures. The mesoporous catechin nanoparticles exhibit a uniform spherical structure (∼100 nm), open mesopores with a diameter of ∼15 nm, and a high surface area of ∼106 m² g^–1. While exhibiting a good biocompatibility and negative surface charge, the mesoporous catechins possess outstanding antibacterial ability and function as an antibiotic mesoformulation without the necessity of loading any drugs. This mesoformulation inhibits 50% in vitro Staphylococcus aureus growth with a low concentration of ∼10 μg mL^–1 and achieves complete inhibition at ∼25 μg mL^–1. In a mouse wound model, accelerated wound healing and complete closure within 6–8 days are achieved. Proteomics of bacteria reveals that the excellent antibacterial property is attributed to the synergetic effect of mesoformulation’s mesostructure and the catechin molecule intervening in bacterial metabolism. Overall, this work may pave a novel way for the future exploration of polymer nanomaterials and antibiotic formulations.