Chitosan-based systems for controlled delivery of antimicrobial peptides for biomedical application

Abstract

Nowadays, topical microbial infections and antimicrobial resistance are global public health challenges. Despite the fact that many different antibiotics have been discovered during the “golden era, " they cannot withstand due to increase in antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobial polymers have gained attention due to their unique properties. Chitosan, a biocompatible and biodegradable polymer, has been used as an antimicrobial agent in different biomedical applications. As well, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are potent candidates to kill the microorganisms; however, their high toxicity and hemolytic activity hinder their clinical use. In this chapter, the use of chitosan as a matrix or as a carrier for antimicrobial peptides is addressed, with an emphasis on topical application. The first section provides an overview of the present challenges related to topical microbial infections and the antimicrobial resistance. Second, chitosan and its antimicrobial mechanism against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as fungi, are summed up. In the third section, antimicrobial peptides as efficient antimicrobial agents and their in vitro, in vivo, and current clinical applications are presented. In particular, binding AMPs to chitosan either by covalent conjugation or using chitosan as a carrier is investigated in the last section.