Evaluation of antimicrobial efficacy of quaternized poly[bis(2-chloroethyl)ether- alt -1,3-bis[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]urea] against targeted pathogenic and multi-drug-resistant bacteria

Abstract

Here, we have investigated in vitro antimicrobial efficacy of a quaternized cationic polymer, poly[bis(2-chloroethyl)ether-alt-1,3-bis[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]urea] (polyquaternium-2), against gram-positive as well as gram-negative bacteria along with several multi-drug-resistant bacterial strains. The antimicrobial efficacy of this polymer was first tested against some clinical pathogens followed by microorganisms isolated from acne lesions. Interestingly, polyquaternium-2 exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, for which very limited drugs are available. Most importantly, the polymer displayed low haemolytic activity and non-toxic behaviour against mammalian cells. The results showed the promising potential of the projected polymer to be utilized as an antibacterial agent for various biomedical applications.

Keywords

Quaternized polymer antimicrobial activity multi-drug resistance cytotoxicity haemolysis transmission electron microscopy

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