Preparation, Antibacterial and Physicochemical Behavior of Chitosan/Ofloxacin Complexes

A novel chitosan derivative with ofloxacin (OFX) has been successfully prepared. The IR and 1H-NMR results revealed that the chitosan/ofloxacin (CH-OFX) complex exhibited an electrostatic interaction. The crystalline and surface morphology were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The antimicrobial activity of the complexes against various micro-organisms viz. Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus was tested. It was established that their antibacterial activity is up to four times greater than that of free quinolone drug and chitosan, probably due to the conjunction of favorable pharmacokinetics, excellent bacterial susceptibility and good stability towards metabolic degradation.