Although aminoglycosides are one of the common classes of antibiotics that have been widely used for treating infections caused by pathogenic bacteria, the evolution of bacterial resistance mechanisms and their inherent toxicity have diminished their applicability. Biocompatible carrier systems can help sustain and control the delivery of antibacterial compounds while reducing the chances of antibacterial resistance or accumulation in unwanted tissues. In this study, novel chitosan gel beads were synthesized by a double ionic co-crosslinking mechanism. Tripolyphosphate and alginate, a polysaccharide obtained from marine brown algae, were employed as ionic cross-linkers to prepare the chitosan-based networks of gel beads. The in vitro release of streptomycin and kanamycin A was bimodal; an initial burst release was observed followed by a diffusion mediated sustained release, based on a Fickian diffusion mechanism. Finally, in terms of antibacterial properties, the particles resulted in growth inhibition of Gram-negative (E. coli) bacteria.
Keywords: antibiotic activity; antibiotic delivery; chitosan particles; polysaccharide carriers; release kinetics.