# Bovine Serum Albumin-Functionalized Hyperbranched Polyamidoamine Dendrimers (BSA@PAMAM) for GSH-Responsive Bacteriostasis

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a new antibiotic delivery system using BSA-functionalized dendrimers that release drugs in response to glutathione, improving efficacy and reducing side effects.

## Contribution

A GSH-responsive nanodrug delivery system using BSA@PAMAM for controlled antibiotic release is developed and characterized.

## Key findings

- The BSA@PAMAM nanodrug successfully loads and releases levofloxacin in a GSH-dependent manner.
- The system shows enhanced antibacterial activity in a GSH environment compared to traditional administration methods.
- Characterization confirms the nanodrug's stability and responsiveness to glutathione.

## Abstract

Traditional antibiotics (such as levofloxacin) are mainly
administered
orally or via injection. However, these delivery methods struggle
to maintain an optimal drug concentration, leading to low bioavailability
and potential toxic side effects. Therefore, this study proposes a
controlled-release antibiotic delivery system to achieve on-demand
drug administration. Specifically, the system utilizes the hydrophobic
cavities of PAMAM to efficiently load antibiotics and modifies its
surface with hydrophilic BSA via coupling to enhance nanodrug stability
during systemic circulation. BSA is conjugated to PAMAM using an N-hydroxysuccinimide active ester containing disulfide bonds,
enabling drug release through disulfide bond cleavage in response
to glutathione (GSH). Characterization techniques, including nuclear
magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, dynamic
light scattering, contact angle measurement, and thermogravimetric
analysis, confirmed the successful construction of the nanodrug. In
vitro drug release experiments demonstrated the nanodrug’s
responsiveness to GSH. Additionally, antibacterial assays showed that
the BSA@PAMAM nanodrug loaded with levofloxacin exhibited enhanced
antibacterial effects in a GSH environment, indicating that this system
can effectively regulate antibiotic release, optimize drug administration,
improve therapeutic efficacy, and reduce adverse effects.