Synthesis of amphiphilic aminated inulin via 'click chemistry' and evaluation for its antibacterial activity.

Inulins are a group of abundant, water-soluble, renewable polysaccharides, which exhibit attractive bioactivities and natural properties. Improvement such as chemical modification of inulin is often performed prior to further utilization. We hereby presented a method to modify inulin at its primary hydroxyls to synthesize amphiphilic aminated inulin via 'click chemistry' to facilitate its chemical manipulation. Additionally, its antibacterial property against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) was also evaluated and the best inhibitory index against S. aureus was 58% at 1mg/mL. As the amphiphilic aminated inulin is easy to prepare and exhibits improved bioactivity, this material may represent as an attractive new platform for chemical modifications of inulin.