Antibiotic loaded microspheres as antimicrobial delivery systems for medical applications

•Polymeric carriers were prepared from new amphiphilic copolymers containing fatty acids and amino acids.•Polymeric microspheres were loaded with antibiotics with antibacterial and antifungal activity.•Antimicrobial activity was tested against Gram (+) S. aureus and Gram (-) E. coli, as well as against C. albicans fungus.•Microspheres loaded with streptomycin exhibited an antibacterial activity against all tested microorganisms.

In this paper, we present the preparation and antibiotic loading of polymeric microspheres, composed of copolymers derived from fatty acid/amino acid components, as new polymeric platforms for antibiotic delivery systems. New polymeric materials were used to prepare microspheres with and without immobilized model antibiotics (streptomycin, chloramphenicol and amphotericin B) by a W/O/W double-emulsion/solvent evaporation method, in which chloroform and poly(vinyl alcohol) are used as the solvent and emulsifier, respectively. The antimicrobial activity of the microspheres was tested against Gram-positive S. aureus, Gram-negative E. coli bacteria, and C. albicans, as a representative of a fungus. The new polymeric microspheres are particularly effective carriers for streptomycin, exhibiting antibacterial activity against all tested microorganisms.

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