Synthesis, characterization, and antimicrobial activities of a starch-based polymer

Due to the rise of nosocomial infections and the increasing threat of antibiotic resistance, new techniques are required to combat bacteria and fungi. Functional antimicrobial biodegradable materials developed from low-cost renewable resources like polysaccharides would enable greater applications in this regard. Our group has developed and characterized a new antimicrobial polymer using commercially available N-ethyl piperazine and starch via simple one-pot method. The prepared antimicrobial polymer was characterized by FTIR and NMR. In addition, the thermal properties of the synthesized antimicrobial polymer were examined through TGA and DSC. The antimicrobial potential of the prepared material was investigated using the bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Mycobacterium smegmatis and a fungi Candida albicans. The result indicates that, as the amount of polymer increases, the antimicrobial activity also increases. SA-E-NPz exhibited a zone of inhibition in the range of 8-13 mm, and the MIC was found to be < 0.625 mg against all four microbes. The antimicrobial activity of polymer coated on fabric was also studied. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity studied against human fibroblast cell lines showed that the prepared polymer is non-toxic to the cells. The study concluded that the synthesized polymer shows good antimicrobial activity, is non-toxic to human fibroblast cells, and thus can be used for wound dressing or textile applications.