Antimicrobial\nActivity of Copolymer Structures from\nBio-Based Monomers

The urgent need for new antimicrobial compounds has led\nscientists\nto explore antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and antimicrobial polymers\nas solutions for multidrug resistance. In this study, we synthesized\ncopolymers with cationic and hydrophobic moieties by free-radical\npolymerization (FRP) using a chain transfer agent to control molecular\nweights. The potential of natural products as part of the hydrophobic\nmoiety was evaluated, along with variations in their monomer content\n(13–25%) and the molecular weight (MW) of the copolymer (5000–20,000\ng·mol<sup>–1</sup>). Hydrophobicity was evaluated using\nthe theoretical Log <i>P</i><sub>oct</sub> values and surface\nareas (SAs). Biological assays included antimicrobial activity against <i>Escherichia coli</i> and <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> standard strains, hemolytic activity in red blood cells (RBC), and\ncytotoxicity tests against HEK293T cells. Keys findings indicate that\ncopolymers with tropolone moieties, lower MWs, and an optimal balance\nbetween hydrophobic and cationic moieties show a promising basis for\nfuture generations of antimicrobials.