An evaluation of the suitability of the European suspension test to reflect<i>in vitro</i>activity of antiseptics against clinically significant organisms

Payne, D. N.; Babb, J.R.; Bradley, Christina

doi:10.1046/j.1365-2672.1999.00482.x

Cited by 31 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…As biocides are generally used for only a short period of time, a contact time of 5 min is often chosen as the standard time point in challenge testing (15). A clear dose response was observed for both test products.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inhibitory Effect of Biocides on the Viable Masses and Matrices of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms

Toté

Horemans

Berghe

et al. 2010

Appl Environ Microbiol

151

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Bacteria and matrix are essential for the development of biofilms, and assays should therefore target both components. The current European guidelines for biocidal efficacy testing are not adequate for sessile microorganisms; hence, alternative discriminatory test protocols should be used. The activities of a broad range of biocides on Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms were evaluated using such in vitro assays. Nearly all selected biocides showed a significant decrease in S. aureus biofilm viability, with sodium hypochlorite and peracetic acid as the most active biocides. Only hydrogen peroxide and sodium hypochlorite showed some inhibitory effect on the matrix. Treatment of P. aeruginosa biofilms was roughly comparable to that of S. aureus biofilms. Peracetic acid was the most active on viable mass within 1 min of contact. Isopropanol ensured a greater than 99.999% reduction of P. aeruginosa viability after at least 30 min of contact. Comparable to results with S. aureus, sodium hypochlorite and hydrogen peroxide markedly reduced the P. aeruginosa matrix. This study clearly demonstrated that despite their aspecific mechanisms of action, most biocides were active only against biofilm bacteria, leaving the matrix undisturbed. Only hydrogen peroxide and sodium hypochlorite were active on both the biofilm matrix and the viable mass, making them the better antibiofilm agents. In addition, this study emphasizes the need for updated and standardized guidelines for biofilm susceptibility testing of biocides.Microbial communities irreversibly attached to a surface and encapsulated in a self-produced polymeric matrix are known as biofilms. A particular characteristic is their extreme resistance to antimicrobial treatment (6). This resistance is mediated by several mechanisms that can act together: (i) poor penetration or inactivation of antimicrobials in the matrix, (ii) an altered bacterial metabolic state, (iii) the formation of persister cells, and (iv) resistance induced by the antimicrobial itself following the use of sublethal concentrations and the upregulation of efflux pumps (2, 7). Hence, biofilms are hard to eradicate and are claimed to be responsible for up to 60% of all infections in humans (1, 5). Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are notorious biofilm producers, the first being nosocomial and responsible mainly for medical device-associated infections (13, 28) and the latter being an opportunistic pathogen causing life-threatening infections mainly in cystic fibrosis patients (13,19).Looking at the high biofilm-related morbidity and mortality, the antibiofilm properties of antimicrobials have been studied extensively, with a main focus on the activity of antibiotics (1,17,20,26). However, a recent study indicated that the prospect of using solely antibiotics to achieve complete biofilm destruction is limited, since the biofilm matrix persists (25). As their mechanisms of action are not limited to the bacterial metabolism, biocides should also be considered as valuable...

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inhibitory Effect of Biocides on the Viable Masses and Matrices of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms

Toté

Horemans

Berghe

et al. 2010

Appl Environ Microbiol

151

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“…Carrier tests are considered to be a more appropriate measure of biocide activity; these are tests in which the bacteria are attached to a surface, often after formation of a biofilm, and are considered to be less susceptible to antimicrobial compounds than bacteria grown in suspension (109). Another value of biocide activity is the E (European suspension test) value (157). This is the time taken for a biocide to demonstrate a Ն5-logarithmic reduction in numbers of bacteria grown in suspension when using the biocide under the conditions of use recommended by the manufacturer.…”

Section: Biocidesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Clinically Relevant Chromosomally Encoded Multidrug Resistance Efflux Pumps in Bacteria

2006

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SUMMARY Efflux pump genes and proteins are present in both antibiotic-susceptible and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Pumps may be specific for one substrate or may transport a range of structurally dissimilar compounds (including antibiotics of multiple classes); such pumps can be associated with multiple drug (antibiotic) resistance (MDR). However, the clinical relevance of efflux-mediated resistance is species, drug, and infection dependent. This review focuses on chromosomally encoded pumps in bacteria that cause infections in humans. Recent structural data provide valuable insights into the mechanisms of drug transport. MDR efflux pumps contribute to antibiotic resistance in bacteria in several ways: (i) inherent resistance to an entire class of agents, (ii) inherent resistance to specific agents, and (iii) resistance conferred by overexpression of an efflux pump. Enhanced efflux can be mediated by mutations in (i) the local repressor gene, (ii) a global regulatory gene, (iii) the promoter region of the transporter gene, or (iv) insertion elements upstream of the transporter gene. Some data suggest that resistance nodulation division systems are important in pathogenicity and/or survival in a particular ecological niche. Inhibitors of various efflux pump systems have been described; typically these are plant alkaloids, but as yet no product has been marketed.

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“…A series of antibiotic-resistant clinical and environmental isolates that included P. aeruginosa, Klebsiella species, E. coli, S. aureus, and S. epidermidis were found to be no less susceptible to the bactericidal activity of phenolic and quaternary ammonium disinfectants, chloroxylenol, cetrimide, and povidone iodine (217)(218)(251)(252). Similarly, some variation in the vancomycin susceptibility and biocide (chlorine, alcohol, aldehyde) susceptibility of enterococci has been noted, but the two did not correlate (37).…”

Section: Possible Associations Between Biocide Use and Resistance-fiementioning

confidence: 99%

Potential Impact of Increased Use of Biocides in Consumer Products on Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance

2003

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There has recently been much controversy surrounding the increased use of antibacterial substances in a wide range of consumer products and the possibility that, as with antibiotics, indiscriminate use of biocides might contribute to the overall pattern of susceptibility in the general environment and in the clinic. Such speculation, based on the isolation of resistant mutants from in vitro monoculture experiments, is not reflected by an emergence of biocide-resistant strains in vivo. This review provides a broad coverage of the biocide and resistance literature and evaluates the potential risks, perceived from such laboratory monoculture experiments, against evidence gathered over 50 years of field studies. An explanation for the continued effectiveness of broad-spectrum biocidal agents against the decline in efficacy of therapeutic agents is provided based on the fitness costs of resistance and the ubiquity of naturally occurring substances that possess antibacterial effect. While we conclude from this review of the literature that the incorporation of antibacterial agents into a widening sphere of personal products has had little or no impact on the patterns of microbial susceptibility observed in the environment, the associated risks remain finite. The use of such products should therefore be associated with a clear demonstration of added value either to consumer health or to the product life. Hygienic products should therefore be targeted to applications for which the risks have been established

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An evaluation of the suitability of the European suspension test to reflectin vitroactivity of antiseptics against clinically significant organisms

Cited by 31 publications

References 8 publications

Inhibitory Effect of Biocides on the Viable Masses and Matrices of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms

Inhibitory Effect of Biocides on the Viable Masses and Matrices of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms

Clinically Relevant Chromosomally Encoded Multidrug Resistance Efflux Pumps in Bacteria

Potential Impact of Increased Use of Biocides in Consumer Products on Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance

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