The Design of Hyperbranched Polymer Biguanide Molecules with a Four-Arm Branched Core Structure Enhances Antibacterial Properties

Amide–amine (PAMAM) dendrimers are biodegradable, non-immunogenic, genotoxic, and biocompatibible, which make them excellent materials for biological applications. In order to reduce the cytotoxicity of the designed branched molecules, a four-armed branched nucleus (B4) of PAMAM dendrimers as hyperbranched molecules was fused with polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) (A2); hyperbranched polymeric biguanides (PAPBs) with a four-arm central core PAMAM structure were synthesized. The bactericidal and cell toxicity tests showed that PAPB had excellent bactericidal activity against both Gram-positive bacteria and Gram-negative, and the chemical binding of PHMB and PAMAM had synergistic effects. PAMAM reduced the toxicity of PAPB to 3T3 cells.