Initial Bacterial Concentration Research Articles

Development of a geometrical model for the determination of the average intensity in a flow-through UV-LED reactor and validation with biodosimetry and actinometry

Ultraviolet (UV) treatment is widely used for water disinfection. The recent development and improvement of the light emitting diodes (LEDs) in the UVC range makes them an alternative to the traditional mercury vapor UV lamps in the middle or long term. Determining the UV intensity applied by a reactor is essential for evaluating its efficacy. Although doing so is relatively straightforward in simple laboratory reactors, such as a collimated beam reactor (CBR), its calculation for more complex devices, such as a flow-through reactor (FTR), requires indirect approaches. The objective in this study is determining the UV intensity in FTRs equipped with UV-C LEDs by utilizing indirect approaches such as the geometrical modeling of the intensity distribution, chemical actinometry, and biodosimetry using a CBR as a reference. With this method, the inactivation of four bacterial indicators in both the CBR and FTR have also been addressed. The three approaches that were used reported similar values of mean intensity with an average value of 0.86 mW cm−2. Determining the mean intensity enabled calculating the UV doses that were applied to the target water and then determining the inactivation kinetics parameters. The UV dose that was necessary to achieve four-log reductions from the initial bacterial concentration ranged from 5.8 to 17.5 mJ cm−2 depending on the target species. Additionally, the geometrical model developed in this study introduces new possibilities into the optimization of the reactor design.

Characteristics and mechanism of persulfate activated by natural siderite for water disinfection

Abstract In this study, low-cost siderite was used to activate peroxydisulfate (PDS, S2O82-)-inactivated Enterococcus faecalis to study the inactivation characteristics and mechanism of siderite/PDS. The results showed that the siderite/PDS had a better inactivation effect on Enterococcus faecalis at pH 3. The sterilization effect increases with the increase of siderite dosage, PDS concentration and temperature. The inactivation rate is decreased with the increase of initial bacterial concentration. Inorganic ions and natural organic matter (NOM) can inhibit the inactivation effect of this technology, and the inhibition intensity is NOM > HCO3− > NO3−. The free radical quenching test shows that HO• is the main oxidizing substance in the sterilization process of siderite/PDS technology. In addition, the main disinfection mechanism is highly reactive oxygen species destroying the cell wall of bacteria and releasing organic compounds in cells. After siderite was reused for four times, simply washing siderite would recover almost 80% of the removal of Enterococcus faecalis in siderite/PDS, indicating that siderite has the potential of recycling.

Synergistic effect of sulfidated nanoscale zerovalent iron in donor and recipient bacterial inactivation and gene conjugative transfer inhibition

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) are widespread in urban wastewater treatment plants (UWTPs). In this research, a horizontal transfer model of recipient (Pseudomonas. HLS-6) and donor (Escherichia coli DH5α carries RP4 plasmid) was constructed to explore the effect of sulfidated nanoscale zerovalent iron (S-nZVI) on the efficiency of plasmid-mediated horizontal transfer. When the S/Fe was 0.1, the inactivation efficiency of 1120 mg/L S-nZVI on the donor and recipient bacteria were 2.36 ± 0.03 log and 3.50 ± 0.17 log after 30 min, respectively (initial ARB concentration ≈ 5 ×107 CFU/mL). Effects of treatment time, S/Fe molar ratio, S-nZVI dosage and initial bacterial concentration were systemically studied. S-nZVI treatment could increase the extracellular alkaline phosphatase and malondialdehyde content of the ARB, cause oxidative stress in the bacteria, destroy the cell structure and damage the intracellular DNA. This study provided evidence and insights into possible underlying mechanisms for reducing conjugative transfer, such as hindering cell membrane repair, inducing the overproduction of reactive oxygen species, inhibiting the SOS response, reducing the expression of ARGs and related transfer genes. S-nZVI could inhibit the gene conjugative transfer while inactivating the ARB. The findings provided an alternative method for controlling antibiotic resistance.

Ex Vivo Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics Modeling and Optimal Regimens Evaluation of Cefquinome Against Bovine Mastitis Caused by Staphylococcus aureus.

Cefquinome, the fourth-generation cephalosporin applied solely for veterinary medicine, is commonly used for bovine mastitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus. The present study aims to establish an optimal dose and provide a PK/PD Cutoff value (COPD) for cefquinome against S. aureus based on ex vivo pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) integration. This study investigated the pharmacokinetics (PK) of cefquinome when administered as three consecutive intramammary (IMM) doses of cefquinome in three healthy dairy cows at 75 mg/gland. Drug concentration was determined by HPLC-MS/MS assay. The ex vivo pharmacodynamics (PD) of cefquinome were evaluated by using a milk sample from a PK experiment. The relationship between the AUC/ MIC of cefquinome and bacterial loading reduction was simulated using a Sigmoid Emax model. The cefquinome concentration in milk attained a maximum level of 1.55 ± 0.21 mg/mL at 1.8 h after the third administration. The mean value of the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC0−24) was 26.12 ± 2.42 mg·h/mL after the third administration. The elimination half-life was 10.6 h. For PD profile, the MICs of cefquinome in milk were 2–4 times higher than those in the broth. In vitro time-killing curve shows that initial bacterial concentration has a huge impact on antibacterial effect on three strains. The antibacterial effect was weakened with the initial bacterial concentration increasing from 106 to 108 CFU/mL. The AUC0−24h/MIC index correlated well with ex vivo efficacy both for the initial inoculum of 106 CFU/mL and 108 CFU/mL (R2 > 0.84). According to the inhibitory sigmoid Emax model analysis, the PK/PD surrogate (AUC0−24/MIC) values were 8,638, 1,397, and 3,851 for bactericidal effect (E = −3) with an initial inoculum of 106 CFU/mL, while the corresponding values were 12,266, 2,295, and 5,337, respectively, with the initial inoculum of 108 CFU/mL. The ex vivo PK/PD based population dose prediction indicated a target attainment rate (TAR) of 90% of 55 mg/gland/12 h. The COPD for cefquinome against S. aureus was 2 μg/mL under the recommended dose of 55 mg/gland/12 h. However, it should be validated in clinical practice in future investigations. These results contribute to the rational use of cefquinome for mastitis treatment in clinical veterinary medicine.

All-electrical antibiotic susceptibility testing within 30 min using silicon nano transistors

Rapid and reliable antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) platform is highly desired to select the right antibiotics to treat infectious disease at early stage. Here, we demonstrate rapid ASTs using nanoscale silicon ion-selective field-effect transistor sensors. Our sensors profile bacterial metabolic kinetics by monitoring the metabolism induced acidification in the growth media with the absence and the presence of different antibiotics. Rapid AST results could be determined from the metabolic profiles with a total assay time less than 30 min for different bacterial strains. In addition, the sensors could also distinguish the bactericidal mechanisms for antibiotics with different modes of actions. Furthermore, the initial bacterial concentration in an unknown sample, a key parameter to determine its clinic relevance, could be estimated based on the metabolic profiles. Our demonstrated AST method is all-electrical, label-free and silicon technology compatible, and holds great promise for the development of a high-throughput and low-cost point-of-care device.

Synthesis, characterization, and comparative assessment of antimicrobial properties and cytotoxicity of graphene-, silver-, and zinc-based nanomaterials.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) and graphene oxide (GO) nanoparticles, silver/zinc zeolite (Ag/Zn-Ze), and graphene oxide-silver (GO-Ag) nanocomposites were synthesized and characterized with X-ray powder Diffraction, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope and Fourier Transform-Infrared Spectroscopy. The antibacterial efficacy of these nanoparticles was evaluated against E. coli. by shake flask method and plate culture method for different concentrations. For 105 cells/mL initial bacterial concentration, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) were<160,<320,<320, and>1280μg/mL, and antibacterial concentration at which 50% cells are inhibited (IC50) were 47, 90, 78, and 250μg/mL for Ag/Zn-Ze, GO, GO-Ag, and ZnO, respectively. Therefore, the shake flask method showed that for all nanoparticle concentrations, Ag/Zn-Ze, and GO-Ag exhibited greater inhibition efficacy, which was also highly dependent on initial bacterial concentration. However, in case of the plate culture method, similar range of inhibition capacity was found for Ag/Zn-Ze, GO-Ag, and ZnO, whereas GO showed lower potency to inhibit E. coli. In addition, GO-Ag nanocomposite exhibited more efficacy than Ag/Zn-Ze when the antibacterial surface was prepared with those. However, Ag/Zn-Ze showed no toxicity on Vero cells, whereas GO-Ag exhibited severe toxicity at higher concentrations. This study establishes GO-Ag and Ag/Zn-Ze as potent antimicrobial agents; however, their application dosage should carefully be chosen based on cytotoxic effects of GO-Ag in case of any possible physiological interaction.

Biodeodorization of Barrels Containing Natural Gas Odorants by Bacillus cereus

Introduction: All sulfur organic odorants used in the Iranian gas industry enter the country in 200-liter barrels. There are ways to clean up the empty barrels contaminated with these materials. In the Gas Company, the currently used method is chemical oxidation (using sodium hypochlorite and caustic). In this study, the biological desulfurization and degradation method of mercaptan was studied.Materials and Methods: Desulfurizing bacteria in the university microbial collection, together with bacteria isolated from gas odorant barrels, were examined, among which one of the species had the highest and fastest decomposition rate. This bacterium belongs to the Bacillus cereus family. The most important factors affecting biological desulfurization including initial bacterial concentration, the concentration of odorant, and the Oil Fraction Phase (OFP) were optimized.Results: These three factors were studied using an experimental design. Initial bacterial concentrations were evaluated at five levels from 10 to 50 ml with an optimum concentration of 30 ml. The OFP was also evaluated at five levels from 10 to 90%, with 50% being optimized. Concentrations of odorant were also evaluated from 2500 to12500 ppm, with an optimum concentration of 7500 ppm.Conclusions: Operational testing was carried out in one of the barrels in the optimized conditions for 48 h. The results showed 79.8% efficiency in removing odorant.

Photocatalytic inactivation of dual- and mono-species biofilms by immobilized TiO2.

Biofilms formed by different bacterial species are likely to play key roles in photocatalytic resistance. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a photocatalytic immobilized nanotube system (TiO2-NT) (IS) and suspended nanoparticles (TiO2-NP) (SS) against mono- and dual-species biofilms developed by Gram-negative and Gram-positive strains. Two main factors were corroborated to significantly affect the biofilm resistance during photocatalytic inactivation, i.e., the biofilm-growth conditions and biofilm-forming surfaces. Gram-positive bacteria showed great photosensitivity when forming dual-species biofilms in comparison with the Gram-positive bacteria in single communities. When grown onto TiO2-NT (IS) surfaces for immobilized photocatalytic systems, mono- and dual-species biofilms did not exhibit differences in photocatalytic inactivation according to kinetic constant values (p>0.05) but led to a reduction of ca. 3-4 log10. However, TiO2-NT (IS) surfaces did affect biofilm colonization as the growth of mono-species biofilms of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria is significantly (p≤0.05) favored compared to co-culturing; although, the photocatalytic inactivation rate did not show initial bacterial concentration dependence. The biofilm growth surface (which depends on the photocatalytic configuration) also favored resistance of mono-species biofilms of Gram-positive bacteria compared to that of Gram-negative in immobilized photocatalytic systems, but opposite behavior was confirmed with suspended TiO2 (p≤0.05). Successful efficacy of immobilized TiO2 for inactivation of mono- and dual-species biofilms was accomplished, making it feasible to transfer this technology into real scenarios in water treatment and food processing.

Insights into the influence of cell concentration in design and development of microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) process.

Microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) process utilising the biogeochemical reactions for low energy cementation has recently emerged as a potential technology for numerous engineering applications. The design and development of an efficient MICP process depends upon several physicochemical and biological variables; amongst which the initial bacterial cell concentration is a major factor. The goal of this study is to assess the impact of initial bacterial cell concentration on ureolysis and carbonate precipitation kinetics along with its influence on the calcium carbonate crystal properties; as all these factors determine the efficacy of this process for specific engineering applications. We have also investigated the role of subsequent cell recharge in calcium carbonate precipitation kinetics for the first time. Experimental results showed that the kinetics of ureolysis and calcium carbonate precipitation are well-fitted by an exponential logistic equation for cell concentrations between optical density range of 0.1 OD to 0.4 OD. This equation is highly applicable for designing the optimal processes for microbially cemented soil stabilization applications using native or augmented bacterial cultures. Multiple recharge kinetics study revealed that the addition of fresh bacterial cells is an essential step to keep the fast rate of precipitation, as desirable in certain applications. Our results of calcium carbonate crystal morphology and mineralogy via scanning electron micrography, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis exhibited a notable impact of cell number and extracellular urease concentration on the properties of carbonate crystals. Lower cell numbers led to formation of larger crystals compared to high cell numbers and these crystals transform from vaterite phase to the calcite phase over time. This study has demonstrated the significance of kinetic models for designing large-scale MICP applications.

Способность Salmonella enterica к биопленкообразованию в условиях межвидового взаимодействия с представителями кишечной микрофлоры

For effective distribution in the gastrointestinal tract, Salmonella must have the ability to form biofilms and compete for nutrients with the host microbiota. Objective: to characterize the ability of Salmonella enterica Typhimurium to biofilm formation under conditions of interspecific interaction in a multicultural biofilm with representatives of the intestinal microbiota in an in vitro experiment. Museum strains of the bacteria Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei, Escherichia coli were used in the work. The process of interspecific interaction was modeled in a mixture of LB-broth with 0.85 % NaCl solution in a ratio of 1:3 at an initial bacterial concentration of 10³ CFU / ml in Petri dishes with a diameter of 65 mm at a temperature of +37 °C. The experimental results were evaluated within 12 days. The plate method was used to count the number of viable cells in biofilms. The optical density of the matrix of the biofilm stained with gentian violet was measured using spectrophotometry (wavelength 595 nm). To assess tinctorial properties, the bacterial samples were Gram-stained.. Enzymatic properties were assessed using Giss media and differential diagnostic media. All experiments were repeated 3 times. It was found that Salmonella enterica Typhimurium exhibit the ability to form biofilm. In the initial stages of biofilm formation, the bacteria of the intestinal microbiota suppress the development of Salmonella. In mature mixed biofilms, the growth of S. enterica and E. coli is mutually stimulated. By the end of the experiment, the dominance of Salmonella over the intestinal microbiota was noted. The results of the optical density measurement suggest the presence of species-specificity in bacterial interaction. Conclusion. Intestinal microbiota bacteria inhibit the growth of Salmonella bacteria in biofilms only in the initial stages. In mature mixed biofilms, the growth of E. coli and S. enterica is mutually stimulated, however, on the 12th day, Salmonella dominates over E. coli and Lactobacillus spp. (p &gt; 0.05). English version of the article is available at URL: https://panor.ru/articles/ability-of-salmonella-enterica-to-biofilm-formation-under-conditions-of-interspecies-interaction-with-representatives-of-the-intestinal-microflora/72525.html

Control ofVibrioparahaemolyticus(AHPND strain) and improvement of water quality using nanobubble technology

Nanobubble technology is used in wastewater treatment, but its disinfectant properties in aquaculture have not been clearly demonstrated. This study investigated the ability of nanobubbles to reduce Vibrio parahaemolyticus (AHPND strain) and to improve water quality. Two laboratory experiments were conducted over a one-week period, that is (a) assessing the effects of air and oxygen nanobubbles for 60 minutes per day and (b) comparing effects of ozone nanobubble treatments for 2, 4 and 6 minutes per day. Experiments were done in triplicate 100 L tanks with 15‰ saline water, inoculated with an initial bacterial concentration of 106 CFU/ml. At the end of experiment 1, the bacterial concentration of the air and oxygen nanobubble groups was counted for 69% and 46% of the control group respectively. At the end of experiment 2, the bacterial concentration of the 2-, 4- and 6-minute ozone nanobubble groups were counted for 23%, 2.2% and 0% of the control group respectively. Oxygen and ozone nanobubbles significantly increased oxygen reduction potential and oxygen values. Results indicate that under effective dosages nanobubbles can be used in the production farms to control V.parahaemolyticus and increase oxygen levels.

Production of sweet corn milk yogurt using Lactobacillus casei

This study aimed to produce a new functional fermented food product from sweet corn milk yogurt using Lactobacillus casei. The suitable conditions for lactic acid fermentation in sweet corn milk were investigated, including initial bacterial concentration, ratio of sweet corn milk and cow milk, sugar concentration, fermentation time and temperature. The results showed that the appropriate conditions for sweet corn milk yogurt production as follow: initial bacterial concentration was 106 cells/mL, fermentation time was 12 h at 37°C and sweet corn milk was fortified with cow milk at a ratio of 2:8 and 12% of sugar. The sweet corn milk yogurt was slightly yellow, smooth texture and thick body with the aroma of corn and acidic smell. The product remained acceptable taste and texture within 4 weeks at 0°C and 2 weeks at 5°C.

Inactivation efficacy of plasma‐activated water: influence of plasma treatment time, exposure time and bacterial species

SummaryThis study aimed to evaluate the influence of plasma treatment time, bacterial exposure time to PAW and bacterial species on the inactivation efficacy of plasma‐activated water (PAW), with additional investigation of the inactivation mechanisms of PAW. Six bacterial species, including Listeria innocua, Staphyloccus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Shewanella putrefaciens and Aeromonas hydrophila were selected as the representative bacteria. The initial bacterial concentration was around 7 log CFU ml−1 after mixing with PAW, and the inactivation efficacy was measured after different exposure times during the 4 °C storage. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of the bacteria after PAW treatment were carried out to inspect the cell structure damage, and physicochemical properties of PAW, including pH, conductivity and long‐living reactive species of H2O2, , and , were examined. The results showed that the inactivation efficacy of PAW was positively correlated with plasma treatment time and bacterial exposure time, and for the species examined in this study, the Gram‐negative species were more sensitive to PAW than the Gram‐positive species. Cell structure damage, including shrinkage, distortion, or holes, was observed after PAW treatment. The pH of PAW was acidified to 2.5–2.9, and conductivity was significantly increased to 518.0 μs cm−1. and H2O2 were reduced during the 48 h storage, while an increased concentration was observed for . This study demonstrated that the processing parameters of plasma treatment time, exposure time and characteristics of bacteria can significantly affect the inactivation efficacy of PAW.

Characterisation of CaCO3 phases during strain-specific ureolytic precipitation

Numerous microbial species can selectively precipitate mineral carbonates with enhanced mechanical properties, however, understanding exactly how they achieve this control represents a major challenge in the field of biomineralisation. We have studied microbial induced calcium carbonate (CaCO3) precipitation (MICP) in three ureolytic bacterial strains from the Sporosarcina family, including S. newyorkensis, a newly isolated microbe from the deep sea. We find that the interplay between structural water and strain-specific amino acid groups is fundamental to the stabilisation of vaterite and that, under the same conditions, different isolates yield distinctly different polymorphs. The latter is found to be associated with different urease activities and, consequently, precipitation kinetics, which change depending on pressure-temperature conditions. Further, CaCO3 polymorph selection also depends on the coupled effect of chemical treatment and initial bacterial concentrations. Our findings provide new insights into strain-specific CaCO3 polymorphic selection and stabilisation, and open up promising avenues for designing bio-reinforced geo-materials that capitalise on the different particle bond mechanical properties offered by different polymorphs.

Optimizing a reliable ex vivo human blood model to analyze expression of Staphylococcus epidermidis genes.

Human blood is often used as an ex vivo model to mimic the environment encountered by pathogens inside the host. A significant variety of experimental conditions has been reported. However, optimization strategies are often not described. This study aimed to evaluate key parameters that are expected to influence Staphylococcus epidermidis gene expression when using human blood ex vivo models. Our data confirmed that blood antimicrobial activity was dependent on initial bacterial concentration. Furthermore, blood degradation over time resulted in lower antimicrobial activity, with a 2% loss of leukocytes viability correlating with a 5-fold loss of antimicrobial activity against S. epidermidis. We further demonstrated that the volume of human blood could be reduced to as little as 0.18 mL without affecting the stability of gene expression of the tested genes. Overall, the data described herein highlight experimental parameters that should be considered when using a human blood ex vivo model for S. epidermidis gene expression analysis.

Optimization of Culture Protocols to Isolate Leptospira spp. from Environmental Water, Field Investigation, and Identification of Factors Associated with the Presence of Leptospira spp. in the Environment.

The successful culture of Leptospira spp. from the environment is challenging. Here, we optimized the isolation of Leptospira spp. from water samples spiked with different species and initial concentrations of this organism. The time periods between water sampling and the isolation process were varied (0, 2, and 4 weeks). Bacterial cultures were observed under a microscope, and cultures were graded for cell density, weekly, for 12 weeks. Most pathogenic Leptospira spp. were difficult to culture under all conditions. All conditions of water samples spiked with novel species of Leptospira subclade P1 were culture positive within 2 weeks. For Leptospira subclade P2, storing samples for 2 weeks prior to isolation resulted in more successful isolation compared with isolation after other storage conditions. For subclade S1, all samples with initial bacterial concentrations of more than 103 colonies/mL, under all storage conditions, were successfully cultured. These results suggest that storing contaminated water samples for 2 to 4 weeks in the dark at an ambient temperature prior to culturing can improve the isolation of Leptospira spp. from the samples. We implemented this protocol and collected water samples from natural sources accessed by both humans and animals. Leptospira spp. was identified in 32% (35/109) of water samples. The animal species using a water source influenced the likelihood of water samples being contaminated with Leptospira spp. Cultures of Leptospira spp. from environmental samples can provide useful information for understanding the complex interactions between humans, animals and the environment in the transmission of leptospirosis.

ENHANCEMENT OF WATER DISINFECTION EFFICIENCY USING UV RADIATION WITH THE AID OF A LIQUID-FILM-FORMING DEVICE

This study presents results for the use of UV radiation and a liquid-film-forming device (LFFD) for disinfection of water. Escherichia coli was used as a model microorganism for examining the bactericidal performance of UV. Bacterial inactivation was conducted in a LFFD with various condition of UV dosages, air flow rates, and initial bacterial concentrations. Combined UV/LFFD treatments resulted in a greater inactivation efficiency than those for the UV treatment alone. Combined treatment with UV (UV dosage = 3.020×10-20 kJ/m2, initial bacterial concentration = 1.1×105 – 2.2×105 CFU/mL, and room temperature) and LFFD (air flow rate = 2400 L/min) caused 89% inactivation in terms of the bacterial load. In contrast, when the UV treatment was used, only 29% of the E. coli load was inactivated. These findings suggest that the combined UV/LFFD treatments could provide a promising method for water disinfection.

Oral biofilms exposure to chlorhexidine results in altered microbial composition and metabolic profile

Oral diseases (e.g., dental caries, periodontitis) are developed when the healthy oral microbiome is imbalanced allowing the increase of pathobiont strains. Common practice to prevent or treat such diseases is the use of antiseptics, like chlorhexidine. However, the impact of these antiseptics on the composition and metabolic activity of the oral microbiome is poorly addressed. Using two types of oral biofilms—a 14-species community (more controllable) and human tongue microbiota (more representative)—the impact of short-term chlorhexidine exposure was explored in-depth. In both models, oral biofilms treated with chlorhexidine exhibited a pattern of inactivation (>3 log units) and fast regrowth to the initial bacterial concentrations. Moreover, the chlorhexidine treatment induced profound shifts in microbiota composition and metabolic activity. In some cases, disease associated traits were increased (such as higher abundance of pathobiont strains or shift in high lactate production). Our results highlight the need for alternative treatments that selectively target the disease-associated bacteria in the biofilm without targeting the commensal microorganisms.

Control of pathogenic bacteria on the surface of rolling fruits by an atmospheric pressure air dielectric barrier discharge system

Atmospheric pressure cold plasma technology has great application potential in the field of food safety. A novel atmospheric air dielectric barrier discharge device has been designed to generate plasma directly on the surface of spherical fruit. This device consists of the quartz tube, the high-voltage electrode attached to the outer wall of the quartz tube, and the fruit placed onto the inner surface of the quartz tube, acting as the ground electrode. The intensified charge-coupled detector images show that a uniformly scanning discharge channel is formed between the surface of treated substance and the inner wall of quartz tube. When the treated substance is rolled in the device, the uniform plasma is directly formed over the fruit surface. The bactericidal efficiency of plasma against pathogenic microorganisms on rolling fruit surface has been studied. The number of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) on the surface of fruit treated by plasma for 15 s in rolling state is 1.57 log10 CFU less than that of the static state. Compared with the initial bacterial concentration, the number of S. aureus on the surface of 1 cm2 decreases by 5.9 log10 CFU after plasma treatment of rolling fruit for 15 s. In conclusion, the fruit surface is uniformly treated by the novel plasma device and S. aureus on the fruit surface was sterilized without causing thermal damage to the fruit surface.

A qualitative method for testing the antimicrobial ability of osteosynthetic fixation material by simulating in vitro contamination by Staphylococcus aureus.

External fixators of serious fractures could be an attractive substrate on which microorganisms can accumulate. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a suitable method for enabling the simulation of a real situation when osteosynthetic fixation material is open for the potential threat of bacterial attack. Agar-based media represented human tissue, and the metallic pin characterized the screw in the fixation. Various types of agar, supplements, and contamination strategy by Staphylococcus aureus were tested. The influence of the initial bacterial concentration was also examined. Surfaces were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and all results were compared. Brain Heart Infusion Agar with the Egg Yolk Tellurite Emulsion was established in a transparent test tube as a suitable system for enabling the good interpretability of bacterial contamination in the pin's surroundings. Pin contamination has been found to be an appropriate approach for testing microbial growth, rather than agar surface contamination, which distorted obtained results. A lower initial colony forming units (CFU) provided better clarity of the test. SEM observation of the pin surface was comparable with the visual evaluations in the test tubes. Results were assembled for positive and negative control samples as well. Screening method for the most common bacteria S. aureus has been standardized and developed. This experimental setup could also be a useful tool for surface modification with antibacterial properties testing.