Study of The Nanostructured Surface of Insect Wing for Fabrication of Novel Bioinspired Materials Having Bactericidal and Wound Healing Property

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance has become a global threat due to the high mutation rate in genetic materials of the different bacterial strains. To solve this problem antibacterial surface of the insect wing is emerging as a novel material for the development of nanostructured surfaces for medical devices. In this work, the surface profile of Cryptotermes brevis and Rhyothemis variegata wing were studied. The wing architecture is an inspiration to fabricate novel materials with exquisite properties. This study characterizes the structure and biological function of a wing. The topography of the surface of the wing was studied by electron microscopy and surface profilometer. The physicochemical property of the surface was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of the epicuticle content. Water Contact Angle measurement confirmed the hydrophobicity of the wing surface. When microorganisms come in contact with the surface of the wing, they adhere to the wing surface due to cell surface properties of their own and the surface chemistry of the wing. This study reported the adhesion behavior of different bacterial species. The bactericidal activity of the wing was confirmed by counting the bacterial cell viability and examination under a confocal laser scanning microscope. Adhesion of bacteria was observed under the electron microscope. Bacterial oxidative stress, the topography of the wing, and the surface chemistry of the wing are the crucial factors that induce bactericidal activity. The roughness of the surface, nano-architecture, and chemical organization all are vital factors that prevent bacterial colonization at the surface of the wing. This work attempted to establish the correlation between nanostructure and bactericidal activity of the surface of the wing. The chemical organization of wing and surface topography both factor synergistically regulate the bacterial death that is examined under different microscopy. This work gives a basic idea about designing multifunctional surfaces by mimicking the surface of the wing. With these findings, chitosan-based material is fabricated which mimics the surface composition of insect wings. The combination of chitosan, stearic acid, and sesame oil provides us with a gel-like preparation that has high bactericidal activity and wound healing potential.