Efeitos da quitosana na inativação fotodinâmica de Escherichia coli

Abstract

Chitosan is a functional material which offers unique characteristics as biocompatibility, biodegradability, atoxic, physiological inertness, antibacterial, chelating heavy metal ions, properties of gel formation, and hydrophilicity, and remarkable affinity for proteins. This study aimed to investigate the use of chitosan and additives, such as gold nanoparticles and photosensitizers, as alternative to inactivate microorganisms treatments. Chitosan of different brands were tested and characterized according to their structural properties in order to assess whether there are significant differences between the brands. The pH range of the acid solubilization of chitosan was varied and analyzed from tests of cell viability study of the antimicrobial properties of chitosan. The range of pH studies where there is no interference from acid in the results is at pH 5.0 and 6.5. Aggregation properties of chitosan and its interaction with bacteria were analyzed in the presence of gold nanoparticles, which became evident that the proposed method is simple, fast, effective and does not compromise the antimicrobial activity of chitosan. These experiments also showed a probable competition between colloidal gold and bacteria interaction with chitosan, but were also found a strong interaction between these materials. Other tests were performed with photosensitizers by assessing the interaction and possible synergism between materials improving the photoinactivation of microorganisms, but not verified or an intensification of the properties of the dyes and there was no effect of antimicrobial activity by chitosan.