Preparation of Biocompatible Antimicrobial Polymer Embedded with Ricinoleic Acid

Global health is in jeopardy by the rising emergence of antibiotic drug resistance in pathogenic bacteria. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a widespread bacterial infection that causes considerable morbidity and mortality on a global level. Finding promising materials for MRSA continues to prove challenging, and it is essential to quest for new and advanced polymeric therapeutics to effectively treat MRSA infections. Ricinoleic acid, a castor oil extract with an unsaturated omega-9 fatty acid and hydroxy acid has sparked growing interest because of its broad-spectrum antibacterial properties. Herein, ricinoleic acid-based polymer is synthesized to combat multidrug-resistant bacteria and few pathogenic microorganisms. The ricinoleic acid polymer (RAP) exhibited efficient antimicrobial activity against E. coli, P. aeruginosa, C. albicans, S. aureus, and MRSA with a MIC of 1.25 mg/mL, 10 mg/mL, and 0.62 mg/mL, 20 mg/mL and 10 mg/mL, respectively. Time-kill assay revealed that the polymer showed biostatic activity against all the tested pathogens. Cytotoxicity assay revealed the polymer showed 100% biocompatibility even at a higher concentration of 50 µg/mL. Effective antibacterial properties, particularly against MRSA and few pathogenic microbes, and good biocompatibility of RAP make it a promising material in surface coatings and hospital-acquired infections.