Essential oil blends or their component blends as antimicrobial compounds of polysaccharide coatings on metallic biomaterials - replication data

The work provides data on the possibility of developing antibacterial surfaces using the combination of essential oils, cinnamon oil, thyme oil and tee tree oil, as well as their active compounds, including cinnamaldehyde, thymol and terpinene-4-ol, embedded in the chitosan and sodium alginate matrix. All coatings obtained in a two-stage electrophoretic deposition process on stainless steel and titanium substrates were characterized by high adhesion strength. The microstructural differences between the coatings were mainly related to the size and location of the additives. Structural investigation showed the impact of individual oil components on intermolecular bonds between polysaccharide chains and the formation of molecular interactions in a specific spatial conformation. The surface of all coatings was minimally rough and had a hydrophilic character. Alginate-based coatings demonstrated superior antimicrobial and anti-biofilm efficacy, particularly against Staphylococcus aureus, but were associated with increased cytotoxicity, especially in oil-enriched systems. On the contrary, chitosan-based coatings showed limited antimicrobial activity while maintaining better cytocompatibility, with cell viability remaining above the 70% threshold in several variants. This work provides insight into the development of natural antibacterial surfaces by the combination of active compounds and shows the distinctions on many levels between the coatings with various polysaccharide matrices.