Summary: | We explored the potential of biomimetic thin films fabricated by means of matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) for releasing combinations of active substances represented by flavonoids (quercetin dihydrate and resveratrol) and antifungal compounds (amphotericin B and voriconazole) embedded in a polyvinylpyrrolidone biopolymer; the antifungal activity of the film components was evaluated using <i>in vitro</i> microbiological assays. Thin films were deposited using a pulsed KrF* excimer laser source which were structurally characterized using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). High-quality thin films with chemical structures similar to dropcast ones were created using an optimum laser fluence of ~80 mJ/cm<sup>2</sup>. Bioactive substances were included within the polymer thin films using the MAPLE technique. The results of the <i>in vitro</i> microbiology assay, which utilized a modified disk diffusion approach and were performed using two fungal strains (<i>Candida albicans</i> American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) 90028 and <i>Candida parapsilosis</i> American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) 22019), revealed that voriconazole was released in an active form from the polyvinylpyrrolidone matrix. The results of this study show that the MAPLE-deposited bioactive thin films have a promising potential for use in designing combination products and devices, such as drug delivery devices, and medical device surfaces with antifungal activity.
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