ABSTRACTCatheters and other indwelling devices placed inside human body are prone to bacterial infection, causing serious risk to patients. Infections associated with implants are difficult to resolve, and hence the prevention of bacterial colonization of such surfaces is quite appropriate. In this context, the development of novel antimicrobial biomaterials is currently gaining momentum. We describe here the preparation and antibacterial properties of an enzyme-embedded polycaprolactone (PCL)-based coating, coimpregnated with the antibiotic gentamicin sulfate (GS). The enzyme uses PCL itself as substrate; as a result, the antibiotic gets released at a rate controlled by the degradation of the PCL base.In vitrodrug release studies demonstrated sustained release of GS from the PCL film throughout its lifetime. By modulating the enzyme concentration in the PCL film, we were able to vary the lifetime of the coating from 33 h to 16 days. In the end, the polymer is completely degraded, delivering the entire load of the antibiotic. The polymer exhibited antibacterial properties against three test isolates:Escherichia coli,Pseudomonas aeruginosa, andStaphylococcus aureus. Foley urinary catheters coated with the modified polymer exhibited sustainedin vitrorelease of GS over a 60-h period. The results suggest that the antibiotic-plus-enzyme-loaded polymer can be used as tunable self-degrading antimicrobial biomaterial coating on catheters.
Antimicrobial biomaterials with non‐antibiotic strategy
