Antibacterial activity of bifunctional bacterial cellulose composite grafted with glucose oxidase and l-arginine

Bacterial cellulose (BC) has become attractive for biomedical applications owing to its excellent properties. However, it is necessary to use bioactive substances to compensate for the lack of antibacterial activity of BC. In this study, the l-arginine (Arg) Schiff base was introduced into the oxidized BC (OxBC). Glucose oxidase (GOD) and Schiff base were selected to endow the cellulose composites with suitable antibacterial properties. These composites were tested as potential antibacterial bioactive materials. SEM, FTIR, XPS, and XRD analyses confirmed the structures of the prepared composites. In addition, H2O2-releasing behavior was also tested. The antibacterial potential of those composites was tested against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Antibacterial tests indicated that the antibacterial activity of OxBC–GOD/Arg was higher than that of OxBC–GOD. Under low concentrations of GOD, the bacteriostatic rates of OxBC–GOD/Arg complex against E. coli, S. aureus, and P. aeruginosa were 95.8%, 95.7%, and 89.1%, respectively. Collectively, this work provides cellulose composite membranes with antibacterial activity as promising candidates for biomedical applications.