Antimicrobials mineral compounds

A number of substances may interfere with stool examination. Particulate materials such as barium, antacids, kaolin, and bismuth compounds interfere with morphologic examination, and oily materials such as mineral oil create small, refractile droplets that make examination difficult. Antimicrobial agents, particularly broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents, may suppress amebae. If any of these substances have been used, specimens should not be submitted until the substances have been cleared (generally 5 to 10 days). A fecal specimen may appear satisfactory by gross examination when there is still barium, etc., which can interfere with microscopic examination. 

Because minerals are an integral part of many enzymes, they play an important role in food processing, e.g., in alcoholic and lactic fermentation, meat aging, and dairy food production. Many compounds used as food additives or for rheological modification of some foods contain metallic cations in their structure. A number of these compounds function as antimicrobials, sequestrants, antioxidants, flavor enhancers, and buffering agents, and sometimes even as dietary supplements (Table 4.4). 

Formaldehyde, as such, is often too volatile and too reactive to be used as a microbiodde for the protection of white minerals. It additionally produces unwelcome side-effects such as an increase in viscosity, and has an insufficiently balanced range of activity. One, therefore, continually searches for formaldehyde-releasing compounds which do not exhibit the disadvantageous formaldehyde effects but maintain or even improve the antimicrobial action of formaldehyde. However, the environmental limitations on released formaldehyde still apply. 

Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the antimicrobial properties of tannins. The antimicrobial effects of phenolic compounds are probably related to the inhibition of bacterial enzymes, alterations in cell wall permeability, an increase in the hydrogen ion activity of the microbial environment, a reduction in the surface and/or interfacial tension and perhaps chelation of essential minerals, particularly iron with a concomitant impairment of the microbial oxidative metabolic system (Chung et al. 1998). The antimicrobial activities of tannins are ascribed to the interactions of goats tannins with the extracellular enzymes secreted and... 

Adhesion of rubber to textile material is improved by impregnation with resorcinol compound dissolved in mineral spirit. Textile sheet-like structure is impregnated with an antimicrobial active ingredient solution. The solvent is selected from aliphatic alcohols, aromatic alcohols, glycols and water. ... 

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