Antimicrobial Properties Of Citric Acid Based Polymers

Abstract

A series of citric acid derived polymers synthesized in our lab were investigated and compared for their physiochemical and antimicrobial properties. We selected citric acid based polymers since citric acid is a product of natural metabolism. These polymers are not only biocompatible but also possess an antimicrobial effect. In polymer synthesis, citric acid (CA) provides profound functional groups available for binding and crosslinking to allow the controllable crosslinking degrees of polymers. A number of citric acid based polymers has been synthesized and studied for their chemical, mechanical, and biological characteristics for use in various biomedical applications. Since bacterial infections became a major issue in medical devices, it is mandatory to determine the antimicrobial properties of materials used for these systems. Our results of investigations conclude that citric acid derived polymers although did not perform a comprehensive inhibition to bacterial survival; they certainly reduced bacterial growth on the materials. Among studied samples, Poly(diol-citrate) (POC) showed relatively superior suppression. The rationale could be the higher ratio of CA contains of POC. Further studies are needed to evaluate in this respect. More after, peptides or surface modifications can be done to advance the antimicrobial properties of these polymers for future use.