In vitro Antimicrobial Effects of Virus Block, Which Contains Multiple Polyoxometalate Compounds, and Hygienic Effects of Virus Block-Supplemented Moist Hand Towels

Abstract

Background: Historical evidence has verified the multifaceted antiviral efficacy of polyoxometalates (PMs). Methods: We carried out a study to investigate the antimicrobial effects of each of the 5 substances comprising virus block (VB): 3 PMs that have antibacterial and antiviral activity, an antibiotic agent, and an antibacterial agent. We also investigated the effectiveness of the addition of VB to moist hand towels in a study involving 120 volunteers. The time-dependent changes in metal ion concentrations in aqueous VB solution were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. Results: The metal elements in the aqueous VB solution remained stable for 12 weeks without undergoing time-dependent changes. Discussion: Further investigations were performed to study hand hygiene using moist hand towels in daily life settings. To this end, 120 volunteers provided 240 specimens that were used to investigate the presence of antibacterial compounds on the volunteers’ hands before and after hand towel use. An aliquot of each specimen was suspended in phosphate-buffered saline and plated on agar media, and the number of colonies formed was counted. Normal bacterial flora found on the hands of the volunteers was investigated before and after the use of 4 different moist hand towels. Conclusions: The effects of VB and PMs were superior to those of commercial moist hand towels, indicating that effective data were obtained that may be useful for the practical application of the tested items.

Hybrid Antibacterial and Electro-Conductive Coating for Textiles Based on Cationic Conjugated Polymer

“…Antibacterial activity is usually attributed to electrostatic interactions between cations and the negatively charged membrane surface of bacteria and/or to other interactions between the cations and the bacteria’s RNA/DNA proteins [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ]. As a result, antibacterial coatings usually contain positively charged materials in the form of either small molecules (mostly metal ions such as copper [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 17 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ], silver [ 17 , 18 , 21 ], zinc [ 21 , 23 , 24 ], cobalt [ 25 ], nickel [ 26 ] or polyoxometalates [ 27 , 28 ]), nanoparticles (such as silver-based nanoparticles [ 15 , 29 , 30 , 31 ], rubidium-silver-titanium oxide nanocomposites [ 32 ], phenol-based nanoparticles [ 33 ] or silica-based nanoparticles [ 31 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 ]) or polymeric (such as chitosan/chitin [ 38 , 39 ], modified poly(ethylene imine) [ 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 ], quaternary ammonium containing polymers [ 44 , 45 , 46 ,…”

Application of Antiviral Polyoxometalates to Living Environments—Antiviral Moist Hand Towels and Stationery Items

“…Among conventional PM compounds, those with specific transition metal elements and certain three-dimensional structures have been found to have antiviral activity [5]. Of these, VB1(VOSO 4 ), VB 2, and VB 3 were combined with antibiotic oxacillin and antibacterial agent Irgasan to develop antibacterial/antiviral mixtures as broad-spectrum antiviral and antibacterial agents [10]. As in the United States, the use of oxacillin and Irgasan has been prohibited in European countries because of their adverse effects on the bacterial purification of sewage.…”

“…Additionally, the synergistic effects of PMs combined with oxacillin on MRSA have been demonstrated [9]. In addition, antibacterial/antiviral mixtures were developed by adding antibiotic oxacillin and antibacterial agent Irgasan to three PMs [10,11]. However, its marketing was prohibited in the United States because oxacillin and Irgasan may cause resistant strains.…”

“…Therefore, oxacillin and Irgasan were replaced by PHMB, and the antiviral activities of minimal formulations (VB2, VB3, and PHMB) were evaluated. The two PM compounds, VB2 and VB3, are the major components for exerting antiviral efficacy, with low cytotoxicity (VB2: IC 50 > 200 M) and a broad viral spectrum (particularly RNA-based viruses) [8,10]. The stability study of the PM solution also showed no change in conformation at 50 • C for 12 weeks [10].…”

Polymers in the Medical Antiviral Front-Line

“…that form clusters with the surrounding oxygen (the transition metal oxyanions linked to each other with sharing oxygen atoms). Those anions show antiviral properties by affecting the virus envelopes/membranes which lead to inhibition of virus infections and an effect on the syncytium formation [33,34].…”