Facile Synthesis of Gallium (III)-Chitosan Complexes as Antibacterial Biomaterial

Abstract

Even though antibiotic treatment remains one of the most common tools to handle bacterial infections, the excessive antibiotic concentration at the target site may lead to undesired effects. Aiming at the fabrication of antibiotic-free biomaterials for antibacterial applications, in this work, we propose the synthesis of gallium (III)—chitosan (Ga (III)-CS) complexes with six different gallium concentrations via an in situ precipitation method. Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy indicated the chelation of chitosan with Ga (III) by peak shifts and changes in the relative absorbance of key spectral bands, while energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy indicated the homogenous distribution of the metal ions within the polymer matrix. Additionally, similar to CS, all Ga (III)-CS complexes showed hydrophobic behavior during static contact-angle measurements. The antibacterial property of the complexes against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria was positively correlated with the Ga (III) concentration. Moreover, cell studies confirmed the nontoxic behavior of the complexes against the human osteosarcoma cell line (MG-63 cells) and mouse embryonic fibroblasts cell line (MEFs). Based on the results of this study, new antibiotic-free antibacterial biomaterials based on Ga (III)-CS can be developed, expanding the scope of CS applications in the biomedical field.

Gallium-Based Liquid Metal Materials for Antimicrobial Applications

“…The investigators also prepared Ga-chitosan complex (Ga (III)-CS) by in situ precipitation, which showed an increase in the inhibition of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as the concentration of Ga 3+ increased. Moreover, it was confirmed by cellular tests that the complex presented a non-toxic merit to both humans and mice [ 126 ]. All of these studies confirm that new antibiotic-free antibacterial biomaterials based on Ga have antibacterial potential in the biomedical field.…”

A DFT study of the gallium ion-binding capacity of mature Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm extracellular polysaccharide

“…Although the alien gallium ions complex most strongly to COOgroups, they do participate in binding to all types of oxygen donors, a property also observed in gallium-chitosan complexes and in gallium-alginate bio-glasses [59][60][61]. Contributions from the acetyl groups to the…”

Gallium containing bioactive materials: A review of anticancer, antibacterial, and osteogenic properties

“…Ga 3+ ions have been also homogeneously embedded in chitosan via an in-situ precipitation method utilizing the chelation ability of chitosan [ 154 , 155 ]. The complex was then coated on a stainless-steel substrate by electrophoretic deposition (EPD).…”