Abstract:
Microorganisms, dirt, and other air pollutants
are major problems in textiles, which can generate an
unpleasant odor during their growth. Herein, we have
developed some novel antibacterial benzimidazolium-based
dipodal ionic liquids that act as iron chelators, and they were
loaded onto the wound-dressing gauze to enhance their
antimicrobial properties for biomedical applications. The metal
binding affinity of the synthesized ionic liquids was evaluated
by UV−visible absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy,
which reveals its selectivity toward Fe (III) ion. It is wellestablished
that almost all bacteria require Fe (III) for survival
and growth. To compete successfully for this essential nutrient,
bacteria developed very efficient Fe (III) uptake mechanisms
based on high-affinity Fe (III) chelators, so-called siderophores.
Thus, keeping this in mind, all the prepared ionic-liquid-based iron chelators have been evaluated for their in
vitro antibacterial activity against various pathogenic bacterial strains by colony forming unit (CFU) assay, and the MICs were
determined by a broth microdilution method. The mechanism of action has also been explored by atomic force microscopy
(AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which reveals the bacterial cell wall deformity and cell wall rupturing that
may lead to bacteria cell death. The most potent antibacterial compound, IL-3, was also investigated for its cytotoxicity against
mammalian HeLa cell line and found to be nontoxic (IC50 > 100 μM). Further, the IL-3-coated wound-dressing gauze has been
developed, fully characterized, and investigated against some Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Moreover, the IL-3-
coated gauze was also evaluated for its hemostatic potential, and results reveal that the developed gauze shortens the time period
required for blood clotting in comparison to simple dressing gauze and pledget that are commonly used in clinics. Thus, the
potential antibacterial and hemostatic results exhibited by developed IL-3-coated gauze make it a useful tool that can be used in
wards, ICU, and particularly, by military persons in war front areas.
