'Click' synthesized calcium-chitosan-triazole nanocomplex from CaC2 as an efficient drug carrier, antimicrobial and antioxidant polymer

A calcium-chitosan-triazole nanocomplex (Ca@CS-Tz) was synthesized via the robust copper catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition using calcium carbide (CaC2) as an in-situ source of acetylene. The nanocomplex was characterized by various techniques and it was proved to be an efficient drug carrier with satisfactory antimi-crobial and antioxidant properties. Quercetin loaded nanocomplex (encapsulation efficiency-68.2 +/- 1.0 %) was studied for targeted drug release and the drug release after 120 h was found to be 80.7 +/- 0.8 % and 8.69 +/- 0.5 % at pH 5.0 and 7.4 respectively. On biological evaluation, the nanocomplex showed enhanced antimicrobial ac-tivity against gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli), gram-positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) and a fungi Aspergillus niger (A. niger). Moreover, the synthesized Ca@CS-Tz nanocomplex also exhibited sig-nificant antioxidant property. Herein, the novel results corresponding to the antimicrobial effect on A. niger and drug delivery studies performed using our previously synthesized chitosan triazole (CS-triazole) derivative have also been reported. Finally, the results of the present study were compared to the results obtained to our pre-viously reported derivative. The incorporation of calcium ions into CS-triazole can lead to the utilization of this complex in various other biomedical applications e.g. bone tissue engineering.

Automated summary

A calcium-chitosan-triazole nanocomplex (Ca@CS-Tz) was synthesized using calcium carbide (CaC2) as a source of acetylene. The nanocomplex showed efficient drug delivery, antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi, and significant antioxidant property. Targeted drug release experiments were conducted and the nanocomplex demonstrated high release efficiency at pH 5.0 and 7.4. The results were compared with a previously reported chitosan triazole derivative.