Enhancing Antimicrobial Efficacy: The Role of Metal Complexation in Chitosan-Based Antimicrobial Agents.

Authors

Muhanad Alhujaily, Alaa Shafie, Mohammed Sanad Alhussaini, AbdulRahman Abdulla Ibrahim Alyahya

Published in

Applied biochemistry and biotechnology. Jun 29, 2026. Epub Jun 29, 2026.

Abstract

Chitosan (CTS) is widely recognized for its intrinsic antimicrobial properties. Recent advancements demonstrate that the antimicrobial efficacy of CTS can be significantly enhanced through complexation with various metals such as Cu(II), Zn(II), Ag(I), Co(II), Ni(II), and many other metals. This chelation not only improves the physicochemical stability and solubility of the complexes but also promotes synergistic antimicrobial effects by facilitating controlled release of bioactive metal ions. These metal ions exert bactericidal effects through mechanisms such as generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), enzyme inactivation, and disruption of microbial metabolism. Consequently, CTS-metal complexes demonstrate superior antibacterial activity compared to pristine CTS or metal ions alone. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of CTS-metal complexes focusing on their antimicrobial potential and enhanced activity upon complexation. Understanding the relationship between CTS and metal ions offers valuable insights into designing potent antimicrobial agents that can effectively address the growing challenge of AMR.

PMID:
42371327
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 29 Jun 2026.

Read full publication at:
Please sign in to see all details.

Stats

1-terrible, 9-excellent. How would you rate this publication? Sign in in to submit your rating.

Post a comment

You need to be signed in to post comments. You can sign in here.

Comments

There are no comments yet.