Studies to control biofilm formation by coupling ultrasonication of natural waters and anodization of titanium

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to investigate the combined effect of ultrasonication of natural waters and anodization of titanium on microbial density and biofilm formation tendency on titanium surfaces. Application of 24 kHz, 400 W high power ultrasound through a 14 mm horn type SS (stainless steel) Sonicator with medium amplitude of 60% for 30 min brought about three order decrease in total bacterial density of laboratory tap water, cooling tower water and reservoir water and two order decrease in seawater. Studies on the effect of ultrasonication on dilute pure cultures of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria showed five order and three order decrease for Pseudomonas sp. and Flavobacterium sp. respectively and two order and less than one order decrease for Bacillus sp. and Micrococcus sp. respectively. Ultrasonication increased lag phase and reduced logarithmic population increase and specific growth rate of Gram-negative bacteria whereas for Gram-positive bacteria specific growth rate increased. Studies on the biofilm formation tendency of these ultrasonicated mediums on titanium surface showed one order reduction under all conditions. Detailed biofilm imaging by advanced microscopic techniques like AFM, SEM and epifluorescence microscopy clearly visualized the lysed/damaged cells and membrane perforations due to ultrasonication. Combination of ultrasonication and anodization brought about maximum decrease in bacterial density and biofilm formation with greater than two order decrease in seawater, two order decrease in Bacillus sp. culture and more than four order decrease in Flavobacterium sp. culture establishing the synergistic effect of anodization and ultrasonication in this study.

Low‐frequency sonication may alter surface topography of endoprosthetic components and damage articular cartilage without eradicating biofilms completely

“…40 We present a summary of the literature in Table III, alongside the findings from our study. [41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50] There is scant literature on the alterations in surface topography in endoprosthetic components after sonication treatment. Most studies have focused their attention on biofilm eradication, intensity and frequency of sonication treatment, and combination with adjuvants such as antibiotics and effervescence.…”

Optimization of ultrasound‐assisted enzymatic extraction of Sohiong (Prunus nepalensis) juice

“…It also enhances the shelf life and microbial safety of fruit juices (Tiwari, O'Donnell, Muthukumarappan, & Cullen, ). Various researchers have used ultrasound in different food applications for extraction (Bora, Handique, & Sit, ; Ertugay & Başlar, ; Lieu & Le, ; Nithila et al, ). This can also be used for extraction of juice from Sohiong fruit.…”

Ultrasonic Technology and Its Applications in Quality Control, Processing and Preservation of Food: A Review

“…Presently, ultrasound technology has gained wider applications in almost all fields including medical scanning ultrasonic therapy, mineral processing, nanotechnology, food and beverage technology, non-destructive testing, industrial welding, surface cleaning, and environmental decontamination applications [14,15]. Over the past few decades, microbial inactivation, foaming/de-foaming, degassing/deaeration, cooking, freezing and crystallization, meat tenderization, drying, brining, pickling and marinating, filtration, extraction, homogenization/emulsifying, cleaning, enzyme inactivation and cutting processes, assisted with ultrasound are some of the most studied and applied processes in the food industry [16,17].…”