Affiliations 

  • 1 Universiti Kuala Lumpur, Branch Campus Malaysian Institute of Chemical and Engineering Technology, Lot 1988 Kawasan Perindustrian Bandar Vendor, Taboh Naning, 78000 Alor Gajah, Melaka, Malaysia
  • 2 School of Distance Education, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Gelugor, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
  • 3 Nanotechnology and Catalyst Research Centre (Nanocat), University of Malaya, 50630 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
J Microbiol Biotechnol, 2019 Jul 28;29(7):1009-1013.
PMID: 31288302 DOI: 10.4014/jmb.1904.04065

Abstract

Polymeric nanoparticles are widely used for drug delivery due to their biodegradability property. Among the wide array of polymers, chitosan has received growing interest among researchers. It was widely used as a vehicle in polymeric nanoparticles for drug targeting. This review explored the current research on the antimicrobial activity of chitosan nanoparticles (ChNP) and the impact on the clinical applications. The antimicrobial activities of ChNP were widely reported against bacteria, fungi, yeasts and algae, in both in vivo and in vitro studies. For pharmaceutical applications, ChNP were used as antimicrobial coating for promoting wound healing, preventing infections and combating the rise of infectious disease. Besides, ChNP also exhibited significant inhibitory on foodborne microorganisms, particularly on fruits and vegetables. It is noteworthy that ChNP can be also applied to deliver antimicrobial drugs, which further enhance the efficiency and stability of the antimicrobial agent. The present review addresses the potential antimicrobial applications of ChNP from these few aspects.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.