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Antimicrobial applications of layered double hydroxides

Abstract:

Despite the wide use of antimicrobial (AM) agents, the appropriate treatment of infections remains unsatisfactory due to the low bioavailability, the poor penetration to infection sites, the side effects and the resistance processeses associated to these bioactive agents. The use of layered double hydroxides (LDH) as carriers of AM drugs, peptides, proteins and nucleic acids is an effective strategy to overcome these limitations because, as intercalation systems, they provide stabilization and controlled delivery of the therapeutic/bioactive compounds. Different intercalative synthetic routes have been explored to incorporate mainly anionic/acidic drugs and other biologically active molecules, and hybrid systems based on LDH in combination with polymers, carbon nanotubes, proteins, and other inorganic nanoparticles have also been explored. Moreover, LDH displayed an important use in the environment as adsorptive materials for removing pollulant AM compounds and as catalysts with AM activity. This chapter aims to cover the main mechanisms involved in the AM applications of LDH. Aspects related to cargo release and the enhancement in their biological performance are also discussed, and some examples of their applications in the prophylaxis and treatment of infections are highlighted.