Capture and light-induced release of antibiotics by an azo dye polymer

TL;DR

This study demonstrates a polymer that captures antibiotics and releases them upon green light exposure, offering potential controlled drug delivery applications.

Contribution

Developed an assay showing azo dye polymer can capture and light-triggered release of antibiotics, a novel approach for controlled drug release.

Findings

Polymer captures tetracycline and ampicillin effectively.

Green light triggers antibiotic release from the polymer.

Release is not induced by white light or heat.

Abstract

The isomerisation of azo dyes can induce conformational change which have potential applications in medicine and environmental protection. We developed an agar diffusion assay to test the capture and release of biologically active molecules from an azo electro-optic polymer, Poly (Disperse Red 1 methacrylate) (DR1/PMMA). The assay monitors the growth of bacteria placed in soft agar under a glass coverslip. Antibiotics can then be applied on the coverslip resulting in the clearance of the area under the coverslip due to growth inhibition. This assay demonstrates that DR1/PMMA is able to capture either tetracycline or ampicillin and the relative amount of DR1/PMMA required for capture was determined. Finally, the active antibiotics can be released from DR1/PMMA by exposure to green light but not by exposure to white light or heat.