Issue 16, 2021

A quinine-based quaternized polymer: a potent scaffold with bactericidal properties without resistance

Abstract

The drug resistance caused due to the overuse of antibiotics has grown into an emerging threat. It is urgent to develop novel strategies to combat bacterial resistance. In this work, a quinine-based quaternized polymer with amphiphilicity (QMTA) was prepared by free-radical copolymerization of quinine and (2-methacryloyloxyethyl) trimethyl ammonium chloride (MTA). Biological activity assays revealed that the polymer sterilized the drug-resistant Gram-negative E. coli and non-resistant Gram-positive bacteria B. subtilis, exhibiting a MIC value of 2 μg mL−1 and a bactericidal rate of more than 95%. Most importantly, both E. coli and B. subtilis treated with the polymer didn't develop resistance even after their 16th passages. Also, the polymer has low toxicity at a dose of up to 128 μg mL−1. The mechanism studies through SEM and 3D-SIM images, fluorescence staining and membrane potential determination reveal that the positively charged QMTA initially concentrates on the surface of bacteria by electrostatic adsorption, changes the membrane potential, binds to the bacteria by its quinine chain, and destroys the membrane structure of the bacteria. This study provides a potential approach through the existing drug to develop new bactericidal reagent/polymer materials without resistance.

Graphical abstract: A quinine-based quaternized polymer: a potent scaffold with bactericidal properties without resistance

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
25 Dec 2020
Accepted
20 Mar 2021
First published
25 Mar 2021

Polym. Chem., 2021,12, 2397-2403

A quinine-based quaternized polymer: a potent scaffold with bactericidal properties without resistance

H. Ding, M. Zhao, L. Zhai, J. Zhen, L. Sun, J. Chigan, C. Chen, J. Li, H. Gao and K. Yang, Polym. Chem., 2021, 12, 2397 DOI: 10.1039/D0PY01751E

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements