Antimicrobial\nGL13K Peptide-Decorated ZnO Nanoparticles\nTo Treat Bacterial Infections

As a broad-spectrum antimicrobial\nmaterial, ZnO nanoparticles (NPs)\noffer a novel approach to infected wounds in the clinic; however,\nit is very necessary to improve the antimicrobial performance of ZnO\nto satisfy the clinic requirements. In this work, a new antimicrobial\nhybrid ZnO@PDA/GL13K was prepared by attaching the antimicrobial GL13K\npeptide on the surface of ZnO NPs via polydopamine (PDA) as a covalent\nbonding agent, which can enhance the reactive oxygen species (ROS)\nproduction and damage the cell wall, showing superior antimicrobial\nefficacy. Besides, the ZnO@PDA/GL13K hybrid can promote the healing\nof bacterial infected wounds, with the wound area only remaining 1.8%\non day 9, about 2 times smaller than that of the ZnO group. Moreover,\nZnO@PDA/GL13K also showed good biocompatibility, and no side effect\non normal tissue and organs was found, implying that the antimicrobial\nhybrid may possess prospective application in biomedical fields.