The Role of Nanofat Membranes in Inhibiting Bacterial Growth: An in Vitro Analysis Publisher



Nazari S ; Nejatipour Z ; Pourani M R ; Martins L ; Martin Marfil P ; Dezfouli S A ; Fakih Gomez N
Source: JPRAS Open Published:2026

Abstract

Introduction: Wound healing is a major clinical concern, particularly in chronic wounds complicated by bacterial colonization, which delays healing and increases the risk of severe complications. Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) and nanofat are promising regenerative biomaterials with potential antibacterial properties. This study evaluates the antibacterial efficacy of nanofat membranes, including nanofat-PRF and microfat-nanofat-PRF, against clinically relevant bacterial strains. Materials and methods: An experimental study was conducted using samples from five healthy volunteers. Nanofat membranes with varying ratios (nanofat:PRF 1:1, 1:2, 2:1, and microfat–nanofat–PRF 1:1:1) were prepared using autologous fat and injectable PRF. Antibacterial activity was tested against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, and Enterococcus faecalis using the Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion method. Gentamicin and ampicillin served as positive controls, while injectable PRF and blank disks were used as negative controls. Data were analyzed using one-way and two-way ANOVA (p < 0.05). Results: The membranes exhibited substantial antibacterial activity against all tested strains, with P. aeruginosa showing the highest susceptibility. S. aureus revealed the lowest inhibition zone value in different fat membrane compositions. However, overall efficacy did not significantly differ between compositions. No inhibition was observed with injectable PRF alone. Conclusions: Nanofat membranes demonstrated notable antibacterial activity against major clinical pathogens, suggesting synergistic effects between adipose-derived and platelet components. Further studies with larger samples are warranted to identify the active antibacterial factors and optimize formulations for wound healing and infection control. © 2026 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. This is an open access article under the CC BY license. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/