Chitosan-based nanocomposites and nanomaterials for drug delivery of antimicrobial agents: a review

With the indiscriminate use of antibiotics and increasing environmental issues, microbial resistance has emerged as a serious and growing global challenge. Moreover, the discovery and development of new antimicrobial agents remain difficult, expensive, and time-consuming. Therefore, the use of advanced drug delivery systems that enhance drug efficacy while reducing side effects has been proposed as a promising alternative strategy. To collect relevant literature, databases such as PubMed and Scopus, as well as search engines such as Google Scholar, were used. Nanomaterials—including nanocomposites, nanoparticles, nanoclays, and nanofibers—play a critical role in these delivery systems. Among them, chitosan, a non-toxic natural polymer with inherent antimicrobial properties, is fundamental because it can overcome many of the limitations of conventional delivery systems. Combining antimicrobial compounds with chitosan not only facilitates effective drug delivery but can also produce synergistic effects, thereby enhancing antimicrobial activity, improving bioavailability, prolonging release, and reducing microbial resistance. The structural characteristics of chitosan, such as its mucoadhesive properties, enable strong binding to biological tissues, which can be further modified for targeted delivery of antimicrobial agents. Chitosan-based nanocomposites also exhibit a high loading capacity for antibacterial agents, owing to their porous architecture, large surface area, and abundant functional groups that facilitate efficient drug binding. Recent advances emphasize the potential of these materials in treating bacterial infections, particularly in wound dressings, biomedical implants, and mucosal drug delivery systems. This review highlights various antimicrobial agents that can be incorporated into chitosan-based nanomaterials, including antibiotics, antifungals, metallic nanoparticles, antivirals, and other bioactive compounds such as toxins and natural products.

کلیدواژه ها:

Antimicrobial ، Chitosan ، Drug Delivery ، Nanocomposites ، Nanomaterials