Physical, mechanical, and antibacterial properties of chitosan/PEO blend films

Films formed by blending of two polymers usually have modified physical and mechanical properties compared to films made of the individual components. Our preliminary studies indicated that incorporation of chitosan in polyethylene oxide (PEO) films may provide additional functionality to the PEO films and may decrease their tendency to spherulitic crystallization. The objective of this study was to determine the correlation between chitosan/PEO weight ratio and the physical, mechanical, and antibacterial properties of corresponding films. Films with chitosan/PEO weight ratios from 100/0 to 50/50 in 10% increments were characterized by measuring thickness, puncture strength (PS), tensile strength (TS), elongation at break (%E), water vapor permeability (WVP), and water solubility (WS). Additionally, the films were examined by polarized microscopy, wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and their antibacterial properties were tested against Escherichia coli. The chitosan fraction contributes to antimicrobial effect of the films, decreases tendency to spherulitic crystallization of PEO, and enhances puncture and tensile strength of the films, while addition of the PEO results in thinner films with lower water vapor permeability. Films with 90/10 blend ratio of chitosan/PEO showed the most satisfactory PS, TS, %E, and antibacterial properties of all tested ratios.     

氧化石墨烯/十二烷基二甲基苄基氯化铵复合物的制备和抗菌性能研究

本文研究了氧化石墨烯/十二烷基二甲基苄基氯化铵( GO-1227)复合抗菌材料的制备及其抗菌性能。通过傅立叶红外光谱的检测,确定GO-1227复合物已经成功合成。为了研究复合物的抗菌活性,以大肠杆菌为代表,通过观察大肠杆菌的表面形貌变化和细菌体外离子浓度变化,证明GO-1227复合物具有相对于原材料更好的抗菌性能。     

江蓠内生真菌NSS1蛋白活性的初步研究

为促进江蓠内生真菌NSS1抗菌蛋白的应用研究,利用硫酸铵沉淀法制备抗菌蛋白,最佳硫酸铵饱和度为65%。采用滤纸片法检测其对细菌指示菌的抑菌活性,抗菌粗蛋白均能抑制五种细菌指示菌的生长,当浓度达到750 μg/mL时,抑制效果最好。采用邻苯三酚自氧化法测定蛋白对超氧阴离子自由基(O-2)的清除作用,MTT法检测蛋白对肿瘤细胞的影响。抗菌蛋白在100℃以下,pH中性时抑菌活性稳定,对紫外线照射不敏感,丙三醇、甲醇和胰蛋白酶对抗菌蛋白的抑菌活性没有影响。不同浓度的蛋白液对超氧阴离子均有清除效果。当蛋白浓度达到360 μg/mL时对肿瘤细胞的抑瘤作用最强。上述结果显示抗菌蛋白具有较强的抑菌活性、抗氧化活性和抗肿瘤活性。     

Poly(oxazoline)s with telechelic antimicrobial functions

Poly(2-alkyl-1,3-oxazoline)s (alkyl = methyl, ethyl) with terminal quarternary ammonium groups were synthesized. It could be shown by NMR and ESI-MS that the termination of the living polymerization with N,N-dimethylalkyl(butyl to hexadecyl)amines was quantitative. The novel functions were investigated regarding their antimicrobial potential toward the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus revealing that only quarternary ammonium functions with 12 and more carbons are antibacterial. Using a novel bifunctional initiator, 3-[(tert-butoxycarbonyl)amino]benzyl-p-toluenesulfonate, poly(oxazoline) with a primary amino group at the starting end and an antimicrobial function at the terminal could be synthesized, as confirmed by NMR and ESI-MS measurements. Comparing the bioactivity of polymers with different functions at the starting end and terminated with dimethyldodecylamine revealed that the starting group has a great effect on the antibacterial properties of the distant terminal. The minimal inhibitory concentrations varied from 0.1 mM for polymer derivatives with a BOC-NH-phenyl starting group to 4 mM for poly(oxazoline)s with a free primary amine at the starting end.     

Biocompatibility and Conductometric Property of Sol-Gel Derived ZnO/PVP Nanocomposite Biosensor Film

Nanocrystalline ZnO and ZnO/PVP nanocomposite films have been prepared by the sol-gel dip-coating technique from zinc acetate precursor on silicon wafer and Pyrex glass substrates. The films were characterized using atomic force microscopy for morphology, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for chemical analysis. Thermally untreated and annealed films were studied in order to analyze the influence of temperature on the formation and properties of the films. The films have a uniform void-free surface and the grain size increases with the annealing temperature. The cell viability assays indicate that the growth rate of BPH cells incubated in the presence of ZnO was significantly reduced (35% of the control) compared to that of untreated controls, indicating antibacterial activity of ZnO as a result of the generation of hydrogen peroxide. The sensor characteristic of ZnO/PVP nanocomposite was also demonstrated by measuring the change in conductivity upon exposure to superoxide anion radical.     

Synthesis and characterization of zinc oxide nanoparticles by using polyol chemistry for their antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity

The present investigation deals with facile polyol mediated synthesis and characterization of ZnO nanoparticles and their antimicrobial activities against pathogenic microorganisms. The synthesis process was carried out by refluxing zinc acetate precursor in diethylene glycol(DEG) and triethylene glycol(TEG) in the presence and in the absence of sodium acetate for 2 h and 3 h. All synthesized ZnO nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV visible spectroscopy (UV), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) technique. All nanoparticles showed different degree of antibacterial and antibiofilm activity against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (NCIM 2654)and Gram-negative Proteus vulgaris (NCIM 2613). The antibacterial and antibiofilm activity was inversely proportional to the size of the synthesized ZnO nanoparticles. Among all prepared particles, ZnO nanoparticles with least size (~ 15 nm) prepared by refluxing zinc acetate dihydrate in diethylene glycol for 3 h exhibited remarkable antibacterial and antibiofilm activity which may serve as potential alternatives in biomedical application.     

A simple approach to constructing antibacterial and anti-biofouling nanofibrous membranes

In this work, antibacterial and anti-adhesive polymeric thin films were constructed on polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibrous membranes in order to extend their applications. Polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride (PHGH) as an antibacterial agent and heparin (HP) as an anti-adhesive agent have been successfully coated onto the membranes via a layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly technique confirmed by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The antibacterial properties of LBL-functionalized PAN nanofibrous membranes were evaluated using the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus and the Gram-negative Escherichia coli. Furthermore, the dependence of the antibacterial activity and anti-biofouling performance on the number of layers in the LBL films was investigated quantitatively. It was found that these LBL-modified nanofibrous membranes possessed high antibacterial activities, easy-cleaning properties and stability under physiological conditions, thus qualifying them as candidates for anti-biofouling coatings.     

New vinyl-1,2,4-triazole derivatives as antimicrobial agents: Synthesis,biological evaluation and molecular docking studies

1,2,4-Triazole is a very important scaffold in medicinal chemistry due to the wide spectrum of biological activities and mainly antifungal activity of 1,2,4-triazole derivatives. The main mechanism of antifungal action of the latter is inhibition of 14-alpha-demethylase enzyme (CYP51). The current study presents synthesis and evaluation of eight triazole derivatives for their antimicrobial activity. Docking studies to elucidate the mechanism of action were also performed. The designed compounds were synthesized using classical methods of organic synthesis. The in vivo evaluation of antimicrobial activity was performed by microdilution method. All tested compounds showed good antibacterial activity with MIC and MBC values ranging from 0.0002 to 0.0069 mM. Compound 2 h appeared to be the most active among all tested with MIC at 0.0002–0.0033 mM and MBC at 0.0004–0.0033 mM followed by compounds 2f and 2g. The most sensitive bacterium appeared to be Xanthomonas campestris while Erwinia amylovora was the most resistant. The evaluation of antifungal activity revealed that all compounds showed good antifungal activity with MIC values ranging from 0.02 mM to 0.52 mM and MFC from 0.03 mM to 0.52 mM better than reference drugs ketoconazole (MIC and MFC values at 0.28–1.88 mM and 0.38 mM to 2.82 mM respectively) and bifonazole (MIC and MFC values at 0.32–0.64 mM and 0.64–0.81 mM). The best antifungal activity is displayed by compound 2 h with MIC at 0.02–0.04 mM and MFC at 0.03–0.06 mM while compound 2a showed the lowest activity. The results showed that these compounds could be lead compounds in search for new potent antimicrobial agents. Docking studies confirmed experimental results.     

Antimicrobial surfaces of viologen-quaternized poly((2-dimethyl amino)ethyl methacrylate)-Si(100) hybrids from surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization

To improve the antimicrobial ability of silicon-based bioelectronics and to tailor the silicon surfaces for inhibiting biofilm formation, well-defined functional polymer-Si(100) hybrids, consisting of nearly monodispersed poly((2-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (P(DMAEMA)) covalently tethered on the silicon surface and functionalized by viologen moieties, were prepared. P(DMAEMA)-Si hybrids were prepared via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of (2-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) on the hydrogen-terminated Si(100) surfaces (Si−H surfaces). The tertiary amino groups of the covalently immobilized (Si−C bonded) P(DMAEMA) brushes on the silicon substrates were quaternized by an alkyl halide to produce a high concentration of quaternary ammonium groups with biocidal functionality. Alternatively, covalent coupling of viologen moieties to the tertiary amino groups of P(DMAEMA) brushes produced the quaternized P(DMAEMA)-Si(100) hybrids with substantially enhanced antimicrobial capability, as well as capability to effectively inhibit biofilm formation. Thus, the viologen-quaternized P(DMAEMA)-Si(100) hybrids possess good antibacterial surface properties and are potentially useful to the silicon-based bioelectronics to ensure their efficiency, durability and reliability.     

Enhancement of the wet properties of transparent chitosan-acetic-acid-salt films using microfibrillated cellulose

This report presents a new route to enhance the wet properties of chitosan-acetic-acid-salt films using microfibrillated cellulose (MFC). The enhancement makes it easier to form chitosan-acetic-acid-salt films into various shapes at room temperature in the wet state. Chitosan with MFC was compared with the well-known buffer treatment. It was observed that films containing 5 wt % MFC were visually identical to the buffered/unbuffered films without MFC. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy indicated that MFC formed a network with uniformly distributed fibrils and fibril bundles in the chitosan matrix. The addition of MFC reduced the risk of creases and deformation in the wet state because of a greater wet stiffness. The wet films containing MFC were also extensible. Although the stiffness, strength and extensibility were highest for the buffered films, the wet strength of the MFC-containing unbuffered films was sufficient for wet forming operations. The effects of MFC on the mechanical properties of the dry chitosan films were small or absent. It was concluded that the addition of MFC is an acceptable alternative to buffering for shaping chitosan films/products in the wet state. The advantages are that the "extra" processing step associated with buffering is unnecessary and that the film matrix remains more water-soluble.     

Isolation, partial purification and characterization of a bacteriocin produced by a newly isolated Bacillus subtilis strain

A wild type micro-organism producing antibacterial substances has been isolated from a Chinese fermented soybean seasoning and identified as Bacillus subtilis. A crude antibacterial preparation (CABP) was obtained by ammonium sulphate precipitation. Isoelectric focusing assay revealed at least four antimicrobial components in the CABP. However, in SDS-PAGE analysis, only one peptide band displayed antimicrobial activity against pathogenic Bacillus cereus and Listeria monocytogenes. This inhibitory peptide had a molecular weight of approximately 3.4 kDa and a pI value of approximately 4.7. Results of this study suggest that at least one antimicrobial substance produced by this wild type strain of B. subtilis may be a new bacteriocin. Its sensitivity to gastric peptidases and activity against the food-borne pathogens make this bacteriocin potentially useful as an antimicrobial agent in foods.     

Pyranopyrazoles as efficient antimicrobial agents: Green,one pot and multicomponent approach

Innovative therapeutic heterocycles having precisely thiadiazolyl-pyranopyrazole fragments were prepared by using the ecofriendly synthetic route. Entire compounds formed in quantitative yields. All the composites tested for their antimicrobial effectiveness against four microbial, two beneficial fungi’s and accurately measured the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC and MBC/MFC), along with some initial structure activity relationships (SARs) also discussed. From the biological outcomes, the motif 6f provided an outstanding activity against all six pathogens. The possible presence of a nitro substituent on this composite may undoubtedly enhance the activity. In addition, amalgams 6d, 6g and 6l displayed promising antimicrobial results. This may be justified to the presence of electron capture group attached to the benzene ring, while the combinations 6j and 6k were zero effect towards all bacterial strains. The other compounds were excellent to low antimicrobial efficiency. The intriguing point was observed that all the active compounds had in common immense antibacterial effectiveness on Gram-negative bacteria than Gram-positive one and more antifungal activity on A. niger compare to other fungus. All things considered and suggested that this outstanding green synthetic approach is used to develop biological active compounds. On top of that, biological results confirmed that these biologically energetic motifs suitable for additional preclinical examine with the aim of standing novel innovative drugs.     

Preparation of alginate-quaternary ammonium complex beads and evaluation of their antimicrobial activity

Alginate-quaternary ammonium complex beads with antimicrobial activity were prepared by the reaction of sodium alginate (SA) with 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl-octadecyldimethylammonium chloride (TSA) in acid solution, followed by crosslinking with CaCl(2). FTIR spectroscopy analysis showed that the resulting complex was formed mainly through covalent bonds between the hydroxyl groups of SA and the methoxysilyl groups of TSA. The complex beads exhibited a maximum swelling of 20% in water at 37 degrees C and were not hydrolyzed in water during experiments lasting for 30 days. The in vitro antimicrobial activity of the complex beads was evaluated against four species of bacteria and fungi. The test microorganisms were completely eliminated within 20 min when treated with 5% (v/v) complex beads, which showed a wide spectrum of excellent antimicrobial activity. The antimicrobial activity of the complex beads was retained after 10 cycles of washing and drying. The present results indicate that these SA-TSA complex beads are a new type of insoluble cationic polymer that can kill or remove microorganisms in water by mere contact without releasing the reactive agent.     

Effect of addition of water-soluble chitin on amylose film

Amylose films blended with chitosan, which were free from additives such as acid, salt, and plasticizer, were prepared by casting mixtures of an aqueous solution of an enzymatically synthesized amylose and that of water-soluble chitin (44.1% deacetylated). The presence of a small amount of chitin (less than 10%) increased significantly the permeability of gases (N2, O2, CO2, C2H4) and improved the mechanical parameters of amylose film; particularly, the elastic modulus and elongation of the blend films were larger than those of amylose or chitin films. No antibacterial activity was observed with either amylose or water-soluble chitin films. But amylose films having a small amount of chitin showed strong antibacterial action, suggesting a morphological change in water-soluble chitin on the film surface by blending with amylose molecule. These facts suggested the presence of a molecular complex of amylose and chitosan.     

Microbial fuel cell-based diagnostic platform to reveal antibacterial effect of beta-lactam antibiotics

Beta-lactam antibiotics comprise the largest group of antibacterial agents. Due to their bactericidal properties and limited toxicity to humans they are preferred in antimicrobial therapy. In most cases, therapy is empiric since susceptibility testing in diagnostic laboratories takes a relatively long time. This paper presents a novel platform that is based on the microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology and focuses on the early antibiogram determination of isolates against a series of beta-lactam antibiotics. An advantage of the system is that it can be integrated into traditional microbiological diagnostic laboratory procedures. Tested bacterium suspensions are uploaded into the anodic chambers of each miniaturized MFC unit integrated into a panel system, containing different antibiotic solutions. Electronic signals gained in each MFC unit are continuously monitored and are proportional to the metabolic activity of the presenting test bacterium. Using this method, antibiotic susceptibility can be evaluated in 2–4 h after inoculation. Hereby we demonstrate the efficacy of the platform in antibiogram determination by testing the susceptibilities of Escherichia coli strain ATCC 25922 and Staphylococcus aureus strain ATCC 29213 against 10 beta-lactam antibiotics (penicillin, ampicillin, ticarcillin, cefazolin, cefuroxime, cefoperazone, cefepime, cefoxitin, cefaclor, imipenem). This paper also presents the construction of the background instrumentation and the panel system into which a printed circuit board (PCB) based electrode was integrated. Our results suggest that MFC based biosensors have the potential to be used in diagnostics for antibiogram determination.     

Bioanode of polyurethane/graphite/polypyrrole composite in microbial fuel cells

Polyurethane (PU) foams were coated with graphite, and pyrrole monomer was subsequently polymerized onto its surface by chemical oxidization to obtain nanostructured polyurethane/graphite/polypyrrole (PU/Graph/PPy) composites, which were used for anaerobic microorganisms grown and tested as anodes in microbial fuel cells (MFC) using municipal wastewater as fuel. The effects of oxidizing agent type (ammonium persulfate and FeCl3) used in pyrrole polymerization on the performance of electrodes in MFC were studied. Composites were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and by the four-point probes to determine conductivity. It was observed from SEM analysis that globular nanostructures of PPy were formed onto PU surface with average diameters between 120 and 450 nm, which are typical of aqueous polymerization of pyrrole monomer. The highest output power density observed in MFCs was 305.5 mW/m³ for the composite synthesized using FeCl₃ as the oxidant, and 128.6 mW/m³ using the composite obtained with ammonium persulfate as oxidizing; the corresponding chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal were 48.2 and 45.5%, respectively. The calculated coulombic efficiency for PU/Graph/PPy composite obtained with FeCl₃ as oxidant was of 9.4%. Internal resistance of MFC using the composite obtained with FeCl₃ as oxidant was determined by linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and the variable resistance (VR) methods, giving 4.8 and 2.9 kO, respectively, with average maximum power density of 237.5 mW/m³.     

Enhanced film forming and film properties of amylopectin using micro-fibrillated cellulose

This work describes a novel approach to produce amylopectin films with enhanced properties by the addition of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC). Aqueous dispersions of gelatinized amylopectin, glycerol (0–38 wt%) and MFC (0–10 wt%) were cast at ambient temperature and 50% relative humidity and, after 10 days of storage, the tensile properties were investigated. The structure of the composite films was revealed by optical, atomic force and transmission electron microscopy. The moisture content was determined by thermogravimetry and the temperature-dependent film rigidity was measured by thermal mechanical analysis. Synchrotron simultaneous small- and wide-angle X-ray measurements revealed that the solutions had to be heated to above 85 °C in order to achieve complete gelatinization. Optical microscopy and atomic force microscopy revealed uniformly distributed MFC aggregates in the films, with a length of 10–90 μm and a width spanning from a few hundred nanometers to several microns. Transmission electron microscopy showed that, in addition to aggregates, single MFC microfibrils were also embedded in the amylopectin matrix. It was impossible to cast amylopectin films of sufficient quality with less than 38 wt% glycerol. However, when MFC was added it was possible to produce high quality films even without glycerol. The film without glycerol was stiff and strong but not brittle. It was suggested that this remarkable effect was due to its comparatively high moisture content. Consequently MFC acted both as a “conventional” reinforcement because of its fibrous structure and also indirectly as a plasticiser because its presence led to an increase in film moisture content.     

Permanent, nonleaching antibacterial surfaces. 1. Synthesis by atom transfer radical polymerization

We have grown an antimicrobial polymer directly on the surfaces of glass and paper using atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The method described here results in potentially permanent nonleaching antibacterial surfaces without the need to chemically graft the antimicrobial material to the substratum. The tertiary amine 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate was polymerized directly onto Whatman #1 filter paper or glass slides via atom transfer radical polymerization. Following the polymerization, the tertiary amino groups were quaternized using an alkyl halide to produce a large concentration of quaternary ammonium groups on the polymer-modified surfaces. Incubating the modified materials with either Escherichia coli or Bacillus subtilis demonstrated that the modified surfaces had substantial antimicrobial capacity. The permanence of the antimicrobial activity was demonstrated through repeated use of a modified glass without significant loss of activity. Quaternary amines are believed to cause cell death by disrupting cell membranes allowing release of the intracellular contents. Atomic force microscopic imaging of cells on modified glass surfaces supports this hypothesis.     

Structure and antimicrobial activities of benzoyl phenyl-thiosemicarbazone-chitosans

Previously, we had prepared acetyl phenyl-thiosemicarbazone derivatives of chitosan, and their antimicrobial activities were analyzed. The purpose of the present study was to further assess the relationship between the structure and antimicrobial activities of benzoyl phenyl-thiosemicarbazone-chitosan. Ten new benzoyl phenyl-thiosemicarbazone-chitosans were prepared and their structures were characterized by FT-IR and elemental analysis. The antimicrobial experiment against four species of bacteria and four crop-threatening pathogenic fungi were conducted based on the derivatives of chitosan with different molecular weight at different concentrations. The results indicated that the antimicrobial activities of benzoyl phenyl-thiosemicarbazone derivatives are much better than that of pure CS. The value of the minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the derivatives against Escherichia coli was 7.03 and 225 μg mL(-1) respectively. All of the derivatives had significant inhibiting effect on the investigated fungi in the concentration of 50-500 μg mL(-1), and the maximum inhibitory index was 94.74%. These results indicate that the derivatives have potential ability used as antibacterial reagent in agricultural field.     

海水小球藻抗菌蛋白的分离纯化及性质研究

海水小球藻(Chlorella pacifica)提取液经硫酸铵沉淀、DEAE-52离子交换层析和SephadexG-200凝胶过滤层析后分离纯化出1种抗菌蛋白.经SDS-PAGE测定,两个亚基的相对分子量分别为61 kD和70 kD;该抗菌蛋白对热稳定,氨基酸组成分析表明含17种氨基酸,其中谷氨酸的含量最高,其次为甘氨酸与天冬氨酸,胱氨酸的含量最低.在抗菌活性中,纯化的蛋白质对产黄青霉(Penicillium chrysogenum)和中华根霉(Rhizopus chinensis)有较强的抑制作用,对金黄色葡萄球菌(staphy lococcus aureus)和肠炎病病原菌(Ameromonas punctata)也有抑制作用,其抗真菌活性比抗细菌强.