Quaternized Chitosan as an Antimicrobial Agent: Antimicrobial Activity, Mechanism of Action and Biomedical Applications in Orthopedics

Abstract

Chitosan (CS) is a linear polysaccharide with good biodegradability, biocompatibility and antimicrobial activity, which makes it potentially useful for biomedical applications, including an antimicrobial agent either alone or blended with other polymers. However, the poor solubility of CS in most solvents at neutral or high pH substantially limits its use. Quaternary ammonium CS, which was prepared by introducing a quaternary ammonium group on a dissociative hydroxyl group or amino group of the CS, exhibited improved water solubility and stronger antibacterial activity relative to CS over an entire range of pH values; thus, this quaternary modification increases the potential biomedical applications of CS in the field of anti-infection. This review discusses the current findings on the antimicrobial properties of quaternized CS synthesized using different methods and the mechanisms of its antimicrobial actions. The potential antimicrobial applications in the orthopedic field and perspectives regarding future studies in this field are also considered.

High-density chitosan reduces the severity of bacterial spot and activates the defense mechanisms of tomato plants

“…Tan et al (2013) and Chung et al (2011), for example, tested different degrees of deacetylation, molecular weights, densities and quartenized derivatives of chitosan in order to verify its antimicrobial property. In these studies, it was observed that the higher the degree of deacetylation, the greater the antifungal activity of chitosan on Aspergillus flavus, Botrytis cinerea and Colletotrichum lagenarium.…”

Different Uses of Chitosan for Treating Serious Obstetric Hemorrhages

“…2 Chitosan coagulates blood, even in the presence of heparin, and has antibacterial properties, reducing the risk of infection. 5,6 It is used by the British and American armies to achieve rapid and efficient hemostasis in the battlefield, mostly to control bleeding due to bullet wounds. Chitosan exists in three forms: granules, gauze, and nasal plugs.…”

N,N,N-Trimethyl Chitosan and Its Potential Bactericidal Activity: Current Aspects and Technological Applications

“…Quaternary ammonium TMC prepared from amino group moieties, exhibited improved water solubility and stronger bactericidal activity over an entire pH range. So, quaternized sites can increase the potential biomedical applications on anti-infection [19]. Electrospun membranes based on TMC/poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) had high antibacterial activity against S. aureus (749) and E. coli (3588) [15].…”

“…This interaction occurs among cationic N-quaternized moieties ( -+ N(CH 3 ) 3 ) on TMC networks and anionic molecules, such as PDPPG on bacteria cells (Figure 1). It leads to a large increase on membrane permeability, causing structural changes (distortion-disruption), as well as, a severe leakage of cytoplasm constituents and eventually results in the death of bacteria [19]. TMC has greater adsorption capacity onto bacteria cell surface, especially on gram-negative bacteria cell, due its higher negative charge property, regarding the gram-positive bacteria [6].…”