Effect of the structure of chitosan quaternary ammonium salts with different spacer groups on antibacterial and antibiofilm activities

Int J Biol Macromol. 2024 Sep;276(Pt 1):133777. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.133777. Epub 2024 Jul 10.

Abstract

In this study, three types of dodecyl chitosan quaternary ammonium salts, each with different spacer groups were synthesized. These chitosan derivatives are N',N'-dimethyl-N'-dodecyl-ammonium chloride-N-amino-acetyl chitosan (DMDAC), N'-dodecyl-N-isonicotinyl chitosan chloride (DINCC) and N',N'-dimethyl-N'-dodecyl-ammonium chloride-N-benzoyl chitosan (DMDBC). The synthesized products were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectrometers, nuclear magnetic resonance, thermogravimetric analysis, and elemental analysis. The antibacterial and antibiofilm activities against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) were investigated. The experimental results indicated that the introduction of hydrophobic groups of spacer groups could enhance the antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of the chitosan derivatives. The antibacterial rates of the chitosan derivatives were over 90 % for both E. coli and S. aureus at a concentration of 0.5 mg/mL. The chitosan derivatives removed >50 % of the mature biofilm of E. coli and over 90 % of the mature biofilm of S. aureus at a concentration of 2.5 mg/mL. Further, the synthesized chitosan derivatives were determined to be non-toxic to L929 cells. Among them, DMDBC exhibited the most promising overall performance and show potential for wide-ranging applications in food preservation, disinfectants, medical, and other fields.

Keywords: Antibacterial; Antibiofilm; Chitosan; Spacer groups.

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents* / chemical synthesis
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents* / chemistry
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents* / pharmacology
  • Biofilms* / drug effects
  • Chitosan* / analogs & derivatives
  • Chitosan* / chemistry
  • Chitosan* / pharmacology
  • Escherichia coli* / drug effects
  • Mice
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests*
  • Quaternary Ammonium Compounds* / chemical synthesis
  • Quaternary Ammonium Compounds* / chemistry
  • Quaternary Ammonium Compounds* / pharmacology
  • Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
  • Staphylococcus aureus* / drug effects
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Chitosan
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Quaternary Ammonium Compounds