Synthesis of triblock amphiphilic copolypeptides with excellent antibacterial activity

Publication date: September 2018Source: European Polymer Journal, Volume 106Author(s): Xinyu Zhou, Xiaokai Su, Zhengzhong Tan, Chuncai ZhouAbstractAntibacterial peptides as a novel antimicrobial agent have overwhelmingly caught researchers’ attention with unique superiority. Here, we report a series of triblock copolypeptides K10-b-Fn-b-K10 synthesized by sequential NCA ring-opening polymerization. The obtained triblock copolypeptides have good antibacterial efficacy against both S. aureus and E. coli. The hemolysis test has been conducted and it suggests that the triblock copolypeptides have low cytotoxicity and good biocompatibility. Furthermore, we present a systematic study on their self-assembly behavior and confirm that they can self-assemble into vesicles. Hence, such triblock copolypeptides have potential applications in antibacterial therapy and biomedical application field.Graphical abstractThe triblock amphiphilic copolypeptides exhibit excellent antibacterial activity and lower hemolysis. Besides, they can self-assemble into vesicles with the potential application in many biofields.
Source: European Polymer Journal - Category: Chemistry Source Type: research