Active insolubilized antibiotics based on cellulose and cellulose carbonate.

The coupling of a number of antibiotics to cellulose and cellulose trans-2,3-carbonate under a series of coupling conditions has been investigated, and it has been shown that by such couplings active insoluble derivatives of antibiotics can be produced. It was found that the antibiotics became firmly bound to cellulose itself, whereas use of cellulose carbonate extended the range of antibacterial activity retained. In the case of cellulose, it was considered that physical adsorption phenomena were operating, whereas a covalent bond was more likely in the case of cellulose carbonate where the antibiotic amino groups could attack the electrophilic cyclic carbonate carbon atoms. The release of antibiotic from the matrix during testing of antibacterial activity was likely due to the action of a cellulase or additionally an esterase in the case of cellulose carbonate. The importance and potential of these new types of chemical derivatives are discussed in terms of new outlets for the commerical use of cellulose.