Production of Antiviral

Viral infections present significant global health challenges, particularly with the emergence of drug-resistant viral strains and adverse effects associated with prolonged use, which continue to slow the implementation of effective antiviral treatments. This necessitates the development of safe and potent alternatives to conventional antiviral drugs. In the current scenario, nano-scale materials have emerged as novel antiviral agents, offering possibilities through their unique chemical and physical properties. Silver nanoparticles have been primarily studied for their antimicrobial potential against bacteria, but have also been proven to be active against various viral types including human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B virus, herpes simplex virus, respiratory syncytial virus and monkeypox virus. The use of metal nanoparticles provides an interesting opportunity for new antiviral treatments. Since metals can attack a wide variety of targets in viruses, the likelihood of resistance development is lower compared to conventional antivirals. In this study, using the rotating disk method, silver nanoparticles were initially wrapped with polylactic acid (PLA) polymer, and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was sprayed onto the wrapped surface to produce a colloidal antiviral agent. The resulting product is intended for use in industrial paints.

Viruses are among the leading causes of disease and death worldwide. Thanks to vaccination programs, numerous deadly diseases have been eliminated, such as smallpox in 1979 [1], or the disease burden has been greatly reduced, as in the case of polio [2]. However, today, there are still no vaccines for most viral pathogens. To appreciate the significant economic impact, we need only consider the common cold, which causes global society a few viral diseases. There is also influenza and various problems related to herpes viruses (shingles, genital herpes, chickenpox, infectious mononucleosis, herpes keratitis, neonatal disseminated infections or viral encephalitis). Other viruses can also cause significant hardships and sometimes persistent infections. Cancer or hepatitis viruses (mainly HBV and HCV) or human acquired immunodeficiency, immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Considerable effort has been spent on vaccine development initiatives. Currently, these diseases remain, without notable success, at least for some of these viruses, namely HCV, HIV and certain herpes viruses like these, the development of new vaccines will probably continue to be difficult to understand. Along with the risk of viral agents emerging or re-emerging, antiviral compound discovery is very promising.

The functional mechanisms of nanoparticles and particularly metal-based nanoparticles have only begun to be exploited. Nanotechnologies have been used to develop functional targeted targets. Drug carriers, rapid pathogen detection and biomolecular sensing, as well as nanoparticle-based cancer treatments. The use of nanoparticles is particularly parallel to the development of antivirals that act by interfering with viral infection during binding [3].

Nanoparticles are appropriately defined as particles with at least one dimension smaller than 100 nm and have received considerable interest due to their unique and interesting properties. Their singular physical properties (for example, plasmonic resonance, fluorescence enhancement) and chemical properties (for example, enhanced catalytic activity) arise from high amounts of surface atoms and high surface-area-to-volume ratio. The relationship is actually that as their diameters decrease, the available surface area of the particle itself increases dramatically and as a result, provides an increase in the original properties of bulk materials. Metal nanoparticles have been examined as antibacterial agents against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria for their antimicrobial potential. Theoretically, any metal antiviral activity can be analyzed to determine the interactions of metal nanoparticles with viruses. Recently, some studies have shown that metal nanoparticles may be effective antiviral agents against HIV-1, hepatitis B virus, respiratory syncytial virus, herpes simplex virus type 1, monkeypox virus, influenza virus and Tacaribe virus [4].

Biomaterial; materials produced naturally or synthetically that are in continuous contact with living tissue to perform the functions of living tissue in a living system, support or treat the functional part. Biomaterials are divided into four main classes. These are; metals, ceramics, polymers and composites.

PVA, a hydroxy polymer that is biologically compatible and water-soluble, has excellent chemical resistance, flexibility, mechanical strength and biodegradability. With very good physical and mechanical properties and chemical stability at room temperature, it has the ability to form very good fibrous materials alone or mixed with other polymers. Figure 1.1 contains the chemical structure of PVA. Produced from natural sources (corn, sugar beet, wheat, etc.) by the melt drawing method, it has the characteristic of being the first fiber. The glass transition temperature (Tc) of PLA is 55°C and the melting temperature (Te) is approximately 175°C. The processing temperature of PLA is in the range of 185-190°C. PLA, a biodegradable polymer, is the most important polyester used in biomedical applications. The medical applications of PLA are based on its biocompatibility and biodegradability. Due to the biodegradation property of PLA, its use in controlled drug release systems is also in question. The chemical structure of PLA is shown in Figure 1.2. In fact, while protection against viruses is provided through masks, distancing and cleaning in addition to drug and vaccine applications, we also expect the protective coatings we use to have some antiviral effects. Thus, in areas where the paint is located, the risk of viral transmission is minimized. For this purpose, in our study, a hydrophilic and hydrophobic colloidal polymeric suspension antiviral agent containing silver (Ag) nanoparticles will be produced using the rotating disk method.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Materials Used

Silver (Ag) nanoparticles were produced using electrohydrodynamic atomization technique. Polymers such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polylactic acid (PLA), distilled water, chloroform and dimethylformamide were procured from Sigma/Aldrich.

2.2. Experimental Plan and Techniques 2.2.1. Preparation of Antiviral Solutions

Silver nanoparticle solutions to be coated with polymers were prepared at the values shown in Table 2.1.

2.2.2. Production of Antiviral Agent for Use in Industrial Paints Using the Rotating Disk Method

Colloidal antiviral agent production parameters using the rotating disk method are shown in Table 2.2.

Table 2.2. Parameters required for colloidal antiviral agent production using the rotating disk method

Successful colloidal antiviral agent formation was observed in all samples. Nanofiber diameters were refined with the addition of natural wound healers compared to polymers. Using the rotating disk method, hydrophilic and hydrophobic polymer colloidal structures containing Ag were obtained. The most uniform structure in the study was observed in the 10% PVA–5% Ag Nanoparticle–10% PLA–5% Ag Nanoparticle sample. By adding to industrial paints, selective property paint structures will emerge in the paint sector, and functional use opportunities will be provided. The results obtained indicate that the polymeric matrix composites produced can be used as an ideal antiviral agent in industrial paints as well as in sectors such as healthcare, textiles, food, agriculture, filtration and defence.

References [1] Henderson, D.A. Principles and lessons from the smallpox eradication programme. Bull. World Health Organ. 1987, 65, 535–546. [2] Hull, H.F.; Ward, N.A.; Hull, B.P.; Milstien, J.B.; de Quadros, C. Paralytic poliomyelitis: Seasoned strategies, disappearing disease. Lancet 1994, 343, 1331–1337. [3] Esteban, D. Mechanisms of viral emergence. Vet. Res. 2010, 41, 38 [4] Morones, J.R.; Elechiguerra, J.L.; Camacho, A.; Holt, K.; Kouri, J.B.; Ramírez, J.T.; Yacaman, M.J. The bactericidal effect of silver nanoparticles. Nanotechnology 2005, 16, 2346–2353. [5] Buluş, E., Buluş, G. S., & Yakuphanoglu, F. (2020). Production of polylactic acid-activated charcoal nanofiber membranes for COVID-19 pandemic by electrospinning technique and determination of filtration efficiency. Journal of Materials and Electronic Devices, 4(1), 21-26.

      Erdi Buluş Metallurgy and Materials Senior Engineer, Materials Technology Specialist Istanbul Arel University ArelPOTKAM (Polymer Technologies and Composite Application and Research Center)   Gülseren Sakarya Buluş Specialist Nurse Silivri District Health Directorate