Structural stability and bioapplicability assessment of hyaluronic acid–chitosan polyelectrolyte multilayers on titanium substrates

Abstract Since bacterial infections associated with implants remain a major cause of their failure, this study investigated the use of polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) comprising hyaluronic acid (HA) and chitosan (CH) to confer antibacterial properties on titanium (Ti). HA and CH were deposited on Ti using the layer‐by‐layer deposition method. The antibacterial efficacy of the functionalized Ti substrates was assessed using Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The number of adherent bacteria on Ti functionalized with HA and CH PEMs was up to an order of magnitude lower than that on the pristine Ti. The effects of chemical crosslinking of the PEMs on the structural stability and antibacterial efficacy were investigated. The chemical crosslinking of the PEMs imparts greater structural stability and preserves the antibacterial properties even after the prolonged immersion in phosphate‐buffered saline. The cytotoxicity of the PEMs to osteoblasts was evaluated using the MTT assay. The results showed that the biocompatible and long‐lasting antibacterial nature of the functionalized Ti substrates offers great potential for reducing implant‐associated infections. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 2008