Titanium surface functionalization with coatings of chitosan and polyphenol-rich plant extracts

Coating biomedical implant surfaces with biopolymers is an easy and inexpensive way to impart functionalities. Numerous biocompatible biopolymers, including cationic crustacean-derived chitosans, have been used. Here, substrates of Titanium (Ti), commonly used for bone contact applications, were coated with chitosan and one of three polyphenol-rich plant extracts (PPrPE) and characterized physicochemically. Hela cell adhesion and growth of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were studied. Chitosan and PPrPE on surfaces were detected by FTIR and XPS. Chitosan coatings, both with and without PPrPE functionalization, did not inhibit MRSA growth and promoted Hela cell adhesion. The effect of PPrPE functionalization remained unclear.