Antimicrobial Activities of Plastics and Elastomers

Gangotri Pemawat, Bharat Raj Singh Rathore, Ritu Tomar and Narendra Pal Singh Chauhan 

The versatile properties and manufacturability of polymers has evoked immense interest in developing a class of biomaterials with the potential to interface with biological systems [1]. However, polymers are prone to pathogenic attack resulting in deterioration of properties, malfunction and so on. Various methods such as the ionic binding technique, incorporation of metal particles/metal oxides/nanoparticles (NP) and physico-chemical modification via, e.g., the addition of quaternary ammonium salts and blending with antimicrobial polymers, have been explored for the fabrication of bactericidal materials [2], However, these methods can result in reduced biocompatibility, cytotoxicity and eco-toxicity. 

Gomez-Garces and M. Fernandez-Garcia, Biomacromolecules, 2015,16, 6, 1844. 2015, American Chemical Society [13] 

Recently, tobramycin (Tob) was chemically prepared via the site-specific conjugation of PEG to form PEGylated-tobramycin (Tob-PEG) furthermore, confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were employed to confirm the data [14]. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Tob-PEG was found to be very much higher than that of Tob. 

PBS phosphate buffered saline and EDC l-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide. Reproduced with permission from J. Du, H.M.H.N. Bandara, 

---