title: Antifungal activity and cytotoxicity of zinc, calcium, or copper alginate fibers.
abstract: The antifungal properties and cytotoxicity of alginate fibers were investigated to widen their application in tissue engineering. Calcium, zinc, and copper alginate fibers were separately prepared by replacing Na(+) with Ca(2+), Zn(2+), or Cu(2+). The antifungal properties of the three alginate fibers were studied after coming into contact with Candida albicans. Then, the fungal inhibitory rates were measured using the plate-count method following shake-flask test. Moreover, an inhibition-zone test and observation by scanning electron microscopy were carried out. The inhibitory rate of the calcium, copper, and zinc alginate fibers were, respectively, 49.1, 68.6, and 92.2 %. The results from inhibition-zone test and shake-flask test show that zinc alginate fibers have the most significant antifungal action and that copper alginate fibers have obvious inhibitory action, but the calcium alginate fibers have weak inhibitory effects. The scanning electron micrographs similarly illustrate that the fungal surfaces show most scraggly after the interaction between C. albicans and zinc alginate fibers. Moreover, the relative growth rates of zinc or calcium alginate fibers in human embryonic kidney cells and human fibroblast cells were more than 100 %. No significant results were obtained (P>0.05). The calcium alginate fibers in human fibroblast cells were not much different from the negative control group (P>0.05). However, zinc alginate fibers had a significant change (P<0.05). Therefore, the excellent antifungal property of zinc alginate fibers demonstrates potential application in skin tissue engineering comparing with calcium or copper alginate fibers.
authors.affiliation: Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Fiber Materials and Modern Textile, the Growing Base for State Key Laboratory, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Guangting
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Yuanming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Xianbo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yanzhi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000464:Alginates / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D002118:Calcium / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D020723:Glucuronic Acid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology; D006603:Hexuronic Acids / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D015032:Zinc / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000464:Alginates; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; D020723:Glucuronic Acid; D015032:Zinc; D002118:Calcium