Antiseptics antimicrobial activity

Sodium trichloroacetate [650-51-17, C2Cl202Na, is used as a herbicide for various grasses and cattails (2). The free acid has been used as an astringent, antiseptic, and polymerisation catalyst. The esters have antimicrobial activity. The oral toxicity of sodium trichloroacetate is quite low (LD q rats, 5.0 g/kg). Although very corrosive to skin, trichloroacetic acid does not have the skin absorption toxicity found with chloroacetic acid (28). 

Povidone—iodine is a brown, water-soluble powder containing approximately 10% iodine. However, the amount of free iodine, which is responsible for the antimicrobial activity, is low in a concentrated solution, but is released as the solution is diluted (41). Concentrated solutions have actually been contaminated with bacteria (42). For use as an antiseptic, povidine—iodine is diluted with water or alcohol to a concentration of 1% iodine. Detergents are added if it is used as a surgical scmb. lodophors are important as broad-spectmm antiseptics for the skin, although they do not have the persistent action of some other antiseptics. They are also used as disinfectants for clinical thermometers that have been used by tuberculous patients, for surface disinfection of tables, etc, and for clean equipment in hospitals, food plants, and dairies, much as chlorine disinfectants are used. 

Alcohols, particularly ethanol [64-17-5] and 2-propanol [67-63-9] are important disinfectants and antiseptics. In the aUphatic series of straight-chain alcohols, the antimicrobial activity increases with increasing molecular weight up to a maximum, depending on the organism tested. For Staphylococcus aureus the maximum activity occurs using amyl alcohol [71-41-0], for Salmonella typhosa, octyl alcohol [111-87-5], CgH gO (43) ioT Mycobacterium tuberculosis... 

Whereas tests (186) indicated that ampholytes were effective in skin cleansing for preoperative use, for wound cleansing, and as an antiseptic in the oral cavity (187), as well as other medical appHcations, the food and beverage industries have proved to be the principal employers of these compounds. Ampholytes are used as sanitizers and disinfectants, not as food preservatives. Low toxicity, absence of skin irritation, and noncorrosiveness, along with antimicrobial activity, has given ampholytes acceptance in dairies, meat plants, and the brewing and soft drink industries. These disinfectants have been manufactured and distributed in Europe and Japan, but not in the United States. 

As is apparent from the above information, there is no ideal disinfectant, antiseptic or preservative. All chemical agents have their limitations either in terms of their antimicrobial activity, resistance to organic matter, stability, incompatibility, irritancy, toxicity or corrosivity. To overcome the limitations of an individual agent, formulations consisting of combinations of agents are available. For example, ethanol has been combined with chlorhexidine and iodine to produce more active preparations. The combination of chlorhexidine and cetrimide is also considered to improve activity. QACs and phenols have been combined with glutaraldehyde so that the same effect can be achieved with lower, less irritant concentrations of glutaraldehyde. Some... 

Pitten, F.A., Wemer, H.P., and Kramer, A., A standardized test to assess the impact of different organic challenges on the antimicrobial activity of antiseptics../. Hosp. Infect. 55, 108-115, 2003. 

The antimicrobial properties of the resinous exudates from twigs and leaves of Eupatorium salvia Colla were tested against 5 Gram (-) and 5 Gram (+) bacteria [200]. Comparison of the antimicrobial activities of 7-hydroxy-8(17)-labden-15 oic acid (salvic acid) and its acetate, both compounds isolated from the plant, with that of the crude extract suggested that the latter ester derivative was the major active component in the exudates. These results validate the vernacular medicinal use of Eupatorium salvia as an antiseptic agent. 

The monoesters of glycerol and the diesters of sucrose not only have higher antimicrobial activity than tlieir corresponding free fatty acids, but also compared favorably in activity with commonly used antiseptics such as parabens, sorbic acid, and dehydroacetic acid (see Tables IV and V). 

CHG at antiseptic concentrations (0.5-4%) demonstrates a high degree of antimicrobial activity, both -static and -cidal, on vegetative phases of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, but it has little sporicidal activity. While there... 

C Savage, H Leclerc, ME Reverdy, J Fleurette, H Guiraud-Dauriac, A Cremieux, B Joly, R Cluzel, G Garrigue. Multicenter study of the antimicrobial activity of antiseptics on the hands. Pathol Biol (Paris) 32(5 Pt 2) 581-584, 1984. 

Among various types of nanomaterials, metal nanoparticles, especially silver nanoparticles, have great importance. Antimicrobial activity is the main feature determining the popularity of this nanometal. Sources of specialized scientific literature provide many reports on its preparation, properties, and applications in these fields of science or industry where aseptic and antiseptic effects are particularly desirable (medicine, nursing, cosmetology, optics, bioengineering, botany, construction industry, textile, and food industries) (Jung et al., 2008). 

Uses Antimicrobial active ingred. in germicides disinfectant antiseptic mildew preventive chemical intermediate preservative in polymer emulsions, adhesives, latex paints, metalworking cutting fluids, cosmetics disinfectant, algicide, slimicide for water treatment antimicrobial, preservative in pharmaceuticals preservative in food-pkg. adhesives... 

Raad, L Hanna, H. A. Nabulsi, N. Antiseptic composition with broad spectrum antimicrobial activity containing an active compound bound to a dye. PCX bit Appl. WO 2002082907, 2002 Chem. Abstr. 2002,137, 304750. 

---