Authors

1 M.Sc. Student, Department of Food Science and Technology, School of Agriculture, Yazd Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Yazd, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Food Science and Technology, School of Agriculture, Yazd Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Yazd, Iran

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Laboratory Sciences, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran

Abstract

Background & Aims: Most antibiotics not only inhibit microbial growth, but also can increase the growth
of livestock. Although enrofloxacin is one of the most commonly used antibiotics, it has high toxicity on the
kidney, liver, and brain. The aim of this study was to synthesize nanocellulose conjugated with aminobenzyl
purin and to study its enrofloxacin adsorption capability.
Methods: Nanocellulose was first synthesized and conjugated with aminobenzyl purin in the presence of a
crosslinker. Then, serial concentrations of conjugated nanocellulose (125, 250, 500, 1000, and 2000 µg/ml)
were incubated with enrofloxacin solution of 1000 µg/ml concentration at different temperatures, incubation
times, and pH. At the end of incubation, all tubes were centrifuged at the speed of 5000 RPM for 5 minutes
and the optical density of the upper layer of solution was obtained using a spectrophotometer with 340 nm
wavelength. Finally, the percentage of absorption was calculated.
Results: The adsorption tests showed that the variation in concentration of conjugated nanocellulose, and
incubation temperature and time did not affect the adsorption, but the variation in pH caused a significant
difference in the amount of adsorption. The maximum adsorption was 82.5 % and was observed in acidic
conditions for the concentration of 1000 µg/ml.
Conclusion: Nanocellulose conjugated with aminobenzyl purin is an efficient adsorbent of enrofluxacin, and
could possibly be used in food to adsorb this antibiotic

Keywords