Synthesis, characterization and in vitro antimicrobial activities of boron/starch/polyvinyl alcohol hydrogels

Starch/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel films (SF) and boron complexes of these hydrogels were synthesized with or without using glutaraldehyde as a cross-linking agent (SF-BA, SF-GA, SF-GA-BA) and characterized by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) methods. In the preparation of the hydrogels; glutaraldehyde (GA) was used as cross-linking agent. Degree of swelling and tensile strength tests were performed for the synthesized hydrogel films. The antimicrobial activities of the films were assayed with in vitro conditions by the disc diffusion susceptibility tests for five different bacterial cultures and one fungus. Standard discs of amoxycillin/clavulanic acid (AMC), ofloxacin (OFX), netilmycin (NET), erythromycin (E) and amphotericin B (AFB) were individually used as positive controls during antimicrobial activity testes. As a result SF-GA-BA and SF-GA showed moderate antibacterial activity and antifungal activity against tested microorganisms. However, SF-BA had no antimicrobial activity against these microorganisms.