Miranda Alex, Brandquist Nichole D, Johnson Kristen, Muldiiarova Elena, Fadeev Aleksandr, Ghanbari Mahboubeh, Endres Jennifer L, Bayles Kenneth W, MacTaggart Jason, Svechkarev Denis, Sadykov Marat R, Salkovskiy Yury
Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, USA.
Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-6858, USA.
Sci Rep. 2025 Aug 12;15(1):29606. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-11891-1.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a global health threat, severely impeding the effective treatment of bacterial infections and jeopardizing the safety of routine medical procedures. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is particularly problematic because of its resistance to beta-lactams and the ability to form resilient biofilms. Conventional antibiotics, including last-resort options, have serious side effects and may contribute to further resistance. Chitosan, a natural biopolymer, offers a promising alternative due to its biocompatibility and antimicrobial properties, though its effectiveness against biofilms is limited. Recent studies suggest that increasing the positive charge density and adding hydrophobic moieties to chitosan, can enhance its antimicrobial properties. In this work, the antibacterial activity of quaternized chitosan derivatives against AMR S. aureus strains was assessed. Quaternization of chitosan's amino group and introduction of hydrophobic side chains was found to significantly inhibit bacterial growth in both methicillin-sensitive (MSSA) and MRSA strains. Notably, nanofibrous materials composed of polyethylene oxide and hexyl-modified chitosan demonstrate alterations in S. aureus biofilm development, leading to significant accumulation of dead cells. Combined, these results highlight the potential of modified chitosan derivatives as effective antimicrobial agents for surface treatments and medical device coatings, particularly in applications where antibiotics are traditionally used, such as biofilm-prone environments.
抗菌耐药性（AMR）对全球健康构成威胁，严重阻碍细菌感染的有效治疗，并危及常规医疗程序的安全性。耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌（MRSA）尤其成问题，因为它对β-内酰胺类药物具有耐药性，并且能够形成有弹性的生物膜。包括最后手段药物在内的传统抗生素有严重的副作用，可能会导致进一步的耐药性。壳聚糖是一种天然生物聚合物，由于其生物相容性和抗菌特性，提供了一种有前景的替代方案，不过其对生物膜的有效性有限。最近的研究表明，增加壳聚糖的正电荷密度并添加疏水基团，可以增强其抗菌性能。在这项工作中，评估了季铵化壳聚糖衍生物对AMR金黄色葡萄球菌菌株的抗菌活性。发现壳聚糖氨基的季铵化和疏水侧链的引入显著抑制了甲氧西林敏感（MSSA）和MRSA菌株中的细菌生长。值得注意的是，由聚环氧乙烷和己基改性壳聚糖组成的纳米纤维材料显示出金黄色葡萄球菌生物膜形成的改变，导致死细胞大量积累。综合来看，这些结果突出了改性壳聚糖衍生物作为表面处理和医疗器械涂层有效抗菌剂的潜力，特别是在传统上使用抗生素的应用中，如易形成生物膜的环境。
