O-Methyl free TMC with various degrees of trimethylation, and
TMCMC with various degrees of carboxymethylation were synthesized
for different reaction time. The antibacterial activity of TMC
and TMCMC coupled with CMC and chitosan were investigated and
compared against E. coli and S. aureus at pH 5.5 and pH 7.2 respectively.
TMC exhibited stronger activity than chitosan at both pH 5.5
and pH 7.2. However, TMC’s activity decreased as the degree of substitution
increased at pH 5.5, while at pH 7.2 the structure activity
relationship was reversed. Both chitosan and TMC’s antibacterial
activity increased as the pH value decreased. However, TMC was
more efficient than chitosan at pH 5.5, while at pH 3.5 was less effi-