The Effect of Cellulose Acetate in the Inhibition of Bacteria: an Alternative for Antimicrobial Resistance

Abstract

Cellulose acetate (CA) is one of the most important esters of cellulose and it was analyzed by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and EDX spectra. The FT-IR spectrum presented both the C=O and C�O stretching bands for acetyl groups. The EDX spectrum confirms the presence of C and O elements. The SEM image presented a spongy structure that is important for many applications. The antimicrobial properties of cellulose acetate solutions in acetic acid were determined in tests on two gram-negative species (Pseudomonas aeruginosa - ATCC 27853 and Escherichia coli - ATCC 25822), two gram-positive species (Staphylococus aureus - ATCC 29213 and Streptococcus pyogenes - ATCC 19615) and yeast species (Candida albicans - ATCC 10231). We have shown that samples of cellulose acetate solutions in acetic acid can be used to fight microbial and fungal infections. Of the gram-positive species tested, the strongest antimicrobial effect was observed against S. aureus. The diameter of inhibition zones of cellulose acetate solutions in acetic acid (P1 and P2) for S. aureus far exceeded inhibition zone both of reference substance (gentamicin) and of acetic acid solutions (M1 and M2), given values between 3.15 cm (P1) and 3.55 cm (P2). Also, the results suggested that the studied solutions (P1 and P2) had an antimicrobial effect pronounced for gram-negative species as P. aeruginosa, in which the P1 sample gave an inhibition zone of 2.95 cm, and the P2 sample achieved an inhibition of 3.15 cm. So, the antimicrobial activity of cellulose acetate solutions tested in vitro had a good antimicrobial effect, proportional to the concentration of the active substance.