High antimicrobial effectiveness with low hemolytic and cytotoxic activity for PEG/quaternary copolyoxetanes

Antimicrobial polymeric materials with quaternary ammonium and phosphonium salts

Polymeric materials containing quaternary ammonium and/or phosphonium salts have been extensively studied and applied to a variety of antimicrobial-relevant areas. With various architectures, polymeric quaternary ammonium/phosphonium salts were prepared using different approaches, exhibiting different antimicrobial activities and potential applications. This review focuses on the state of the art of antimicrobial polymers with quaternary ammonium/phosphonium salts. In particular, it discusses the structure and synthesis method, mechanisms of antimicrobial action, and the comparison of antimicrobial performance between these two kinds of polymers.

N-Halamine-modified antimicrobial polypropylene nonwoven fabrics for use against airborne bacteria

Disinfecting, nonbleaching compound 1-chloro-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-4-imidazolidinone (MC) was uniformly coated onto polypropylene melt-blown nonwoven fabrics having basis-weights of 22 and 50 g/m(2) in order to impart antimicrobial properties via a pad-dry technique. The antimicrobial efficacies of the tested fabrics loaded with MC compound were evaluated against bioaerosols of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli O157:H7 utilizing a colony counting method. It was determined that both types of coated fabrics exhibited superior antimicrobial efficacy upon exposure to aerosol generation for 3 h. The effect of the coating on air permeability was found to be minimal. Samples were stable for a 6 month time period when they were stored in darkness. However, when the fabrics were exposed to fluorescent light, partial chlorine loss was observed. The MC-coated fabrics exhibited great potential for use in protective face masks and air filters to combat airborne pathogens.

Antimicrobial polymethacrylates based on quaternized 1,3-thiazole and 1,2,3-triazole side-chain groups

Increasing antimicrobial and non-hemotoxic characteristics of polymers bearing thiazole and triazole groups by the appropriate selection of spacer and quaternization groups.

Cationic methacrylate polymers as topical antimicrobial agents against Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization

The in vitro and in vivo antimicrobial activity of primary ammonium ethyl methacrylate homopolymers (AEMPs) was investigated. AEMPs with different degrees of polymerization (DP = 7.7–12) were prepared by reversible addition–fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The AEMPs showed higher inhibitory effects against Gram-positive bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), than Gram-negative bacteria. The AEMPs also showed potent anti-S. aureus activity in the presence of fetal bovine serum, whereas the activity of the antibiotic mupirocin was reduced under the same conditions. The AEMPs showed very little or no hemolytic activity. The cytotoxicity of AEMPs against mammalian cells HEp-2 and COS-7 was concentration-dependent, and the cell viability significantly decreased at higher polymer concentrations. The AEMPs significantly reduced the number of viable S. aureus cells in the nasal environment of cotton rats when compared to that of the control. This study demonstrates that AEMPs have potential for use in treating topical S. aureus infections.