Design, synthesis and antibacterial evaluation of aldehyde chitosan-antibiotic conjugates

To address the challenge of antibiotic resistance and enhance the functionality of pharmaceutical materials, aldehyde chitosan-based dynamic polymers (ACs) incorporating amikacin and cefotaxime, denoted as ACs-amikacin and ACs-cefotaxime, respectively, were synthesized. These polymer's chemical structure was characterized using 1H-NMR and FT-IR analysis. Subsequently, methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays were employed to evaluate their safety. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that these polymers retained the antibacterial activity of the antibiotics. This study introduces a novel strategy for dynamic natural materials capable of exerting a synergistic effect in pharmaceutical applications through the conjugation of natural materials with active pharmaceutical agents.