Achieving high antimicrobial activity: Composite alginate hydrogel beads releasing activated charcoal with an immobilized active agent

Andrea Osmokrovic; Ivan Jancic; Jovana Vunduk; Predrag Petrovic; Marina Milenkovic; Bojana Obradovic

doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2018.05.045

Achieving high antimicrobial activity: Composite alginate hydrogel beads releasing activated charcoal with an immobilized active agent

Carbohydr Polym. 2018 Sep 15:196:279-288. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2018.05.045. Epub 2018 May 21.

Authors

Andrea Osmokrovic¹, Ivan Jancic², Jovana Vunduk³, Predrag Petrovic⁴, Marina Milenkovic⁵, Bojana Obradovic⁶

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, Karnegijeva 4, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: aosmokrovic@tmf.bg.ac.rs.
² Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, Vojvode Stepe 450, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: ijancic@pharmacy.bg.ac.rs.
³ Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Nemanjina 6, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: vunduk@agrif.bg.ac.rs.
⁴ Innovation Center of the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, Karnegijeva 4, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: ppetrovic@tmf.bg.ac.rs.
⁵ Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, Vojvode Stepe 450, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: marinama@pharmacy.bg.ac.rs.
⁶ Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, Karnegijeva 4, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: bojana@tmf.bg.ac.rs.

PMID: 29891298
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2018.05.045

Abstract

New composites based on Ca-alginate hydrogels were produced that release activated charcoal (AC) particles with adsorbed povidone iodine (PVP-I) as a model antimicrobial substance in a physiological-like environment. Composite beads with different alginate (0.5-1.5%w/w) and AC (1-20%w/w) concentrations were analyzed by FE-SEM and characterized regarding textural parameters, swelling, and AC release kinetics. PVP-I was easily adsorbed onto AC particles within the optimized beads (0.5%w/w alginate, 20%w/w AC) as indicated by UV-vis spectroscopy, EDX and FT-IR analyses. The obtained beads have shown strong bactericidal effects against two standard bacterial strains (Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and clinical multi-resistant wound isolates (MRSA, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Еnterococcus faecalis and Proteus mirabilis) and, at the same time, exhibited negligible PVP-I desorption in physiological saline solution. Thus, the obtained composites could provide utilization of potent antiseptics such as iodine, in wound dressings, without the concern of systemic absorption.

Keywords: Activated charcoal; Alginate; Antibacterial activity; Povidone iodine; Wound dressing.