Nontoxic Cationic Coumarin Polyester Coatings Prevent Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Formation.
The rapid increase in bacterial infections and antimicrobial resistance is a growing public health concern. Infections arising from bacterial contamination of surgical tools, medical implants, catheters, and hospital surfaces can potentially be addressed by antimicrobial polymeric coatings. The challenge in developing such polymers for in vivo use is the ability to achieve high antimicrobial efficacy while at the same time being nontoxic to human cells. Although several classes of antimicrobial polymers have been developed, many of them cannot be used in the clinical setting due to their nonselective toxicity toward bacteria and mammalian cells. Here, we demonstrate that coumarin polyesters with cationic pendant groups are very effective against Gram negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Coumarin polyesters with pendant cationic amine groups were coated onto glass coverslips and tested for their antimicrobial activity against P. aeruginosa colonization of the surface. The results demonstrate that the cationic coumarin polyester kills the surface attached bacterial cells preventing biofilm formation but does not show any hemolytic activity or discernible toxicity toward mammalian cells. The antimicrobial polyesters described in this work have several advantages desired in antimicrobial coatings such as high antimicrobial activity, low toxicity toward mammalian cells, visualization and ease of synthesis and fabrication, all of which are necessary for translation to the clinic.
Department of Polymer Science and ‡Department of Biology, The University of Akron , Akron, Ohio 44325, United States.
Elaheh A
EA
Chamsaz
Department of Polymer Science and ‡Department of Biology, The University of Akron , Akron, Ohio 44325, United States.
Steven
S
Mankoci
Department of Polymer Science and ‡Department of Biology, The University of Akron , Akron, Ohio 44325, United States.
Hazel A
HA
Barton
Department of Polymer Science and ‡Department of Biology, The University of Akron , Akron, Ohio 44325, United States.
Abraham
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7781-3817
A
Joy
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D018441:Biofilms; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D003374:Coumarins; D006801:Humans; D011091:Polyesters; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D003374:Coumarins; D011091:Polyesters
Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm; antimicrobial coating; antimicrobial polyester; cationic polymer coating; functionalized polyester; nontoxic antimicrobial polymer