Chitosan Nanoparticle Antimicrobial Treatment
topic
Chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs, 100–400 nm) prepared by ionic gelation with tripolyphosphate (TPP at CS:TPP ratio 3:1–5:1, pH 4.5–5.5) exhibit higher surface area and membrane penetration than bulk chitosan, achieving 4–5 log bactericidal reduction at 0.1–0.5 mg/mL MIC versus 1–5 mg/mL for bulk chitosan. Applied to textiles at 1–3 g/m² in acrylic binder via padding, CSNPs improve wash durability to 30–50 cycles. Antifungal activity against Candida albicans (>3 log, ISO 13629) makes CSNPs suitable for diabetic wound dressings and athlete's foot-resistant hosiery. Drug-loading capacity of 30–60% enables encapsulation of essential oils (thymol, carvacrol) for synergistic biocidal effects. Regulatory status under REACH nanomaterial registration is evolving.
Role
Advanced natural antimicrobial platform for high-performance wound care and functional hosiery, delivering superior biocidal potency at lower loadings than conventional chitosan while enabling simultaneous drug delivery for therapeutic textile applications.