Assessment of Chemical Disinfectants Efficacy against Escherichia coli Biofilm Developed on Glass and Wood at Refrigeration and Room Temperatures.

Objectives: The aim of this work was to study the formation of biofilm on glass and wood coupons at refrigeration and room temperatures, different incubation periods and to assess the efficacy of hydrogen peroxide (HP), Para Acetic Acid (PAA), Sodium hypochlorite (SH) and mixture of PAA + SH against the biofilm. Method: 200 μL of 108suspension E. coli ATCC 29922 was inoculated on the coupons inside petri dishes containing 20 ml of tryptic soy broth, incubated at 10 and 270C for 24, 48, 72 and 168 hours. Biofilm developed at each hour above was quantified by bead-vortex followed by agar plating. The action of disinfectants was tested on 168 hours biofilm. The surfaces were exposed to the disinfectants and incubated at 27 °C for 10 minutes, followed by deactivation for 5 minutes. Cells that resisted disinfectants effect were vortexed and enumerated by agar plating. Results: The results showed that E. coli can develop high biofilm on wood apart from glass. After disinfection treatment, HP had the highest efficacy at 27°C followed by PAA then SH, whilst PAA + SH had the least. Conclusion: It can be concluded that HP and PAA can be good disinfectants agents against E. coli biofilm.

Differential biofilm formation and chemical disinfection resistance of Escherichia coli on stainless steel and polystyrene tissue culture plate.

Background: Biofilms are aggregates of microbial cells enclosed in an extracellular polymeric substance and attached to surfaces. Biofilm formation and its resistance to antimicrobials is becoming a serious challenge in food industries and hospital settings. The aim of this work was to study the formation of biofilm by E. coli on Stainless steel (SS) and Polystyrene Tissue Culture Plate (TCP) at 10 and 27°C, and also to assess the action Hydrogen Peroxide (HP), Para Acetic Acid (PAA), Sodium Hypochlorite (SH) and mixture of PAA + SH disinfectants against the biofilm. Methods: 200 μL of 108 suspension of E. coli ATCC 29922 was inoculated on the SS and into the wells of TCP, incubated at 10 and 27°C for 24, 48 72 and 168 hours. Biofilm developed at each incubation hour above was quantified by bead-vortex method followed by agar plating. The action of disinfectants was tested on 168 hours biofilm. The surfaces were exposed to the disinfectants and incubated at 27°C for 10 minutes, followed by deactivation for 5 minutes. Cells that resisted disinfectants action were vortexed and enumerated by agar plating. Results: From the results E. coli developed higher biofilm on SS than TCP at 72 hours and 27°C. After disinfection, HP was the most effective with log reduction value of 1.11 followed by PAA (1.07), then PAA + SH (1.04) while SH was the least (0.92). Conclusions: The result of this work showed that HP and PAA can be good disinfectants against E. coli biofilm.

Seeking optimal means to address micronutrient deficiencies in food supplements: A case study from the Bangladesh Integrated Nutrition Project.

In seeking to improve the micronutrient contents of a food supplement used in a major community-based nutrition project in Bangladesh, operations research was conducted to compare the provision of needed micronutrients through additional food sources (fresh or dried fruits or vegetables), a micronutrient multi-mix, and a combination of the two. Micronutrient gaps (the difference between micronutrient requirements and actual micronutrient intake) were estimated for four groups of project beneficiaries, with target intakes defined as requirements for iron, calcium, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin C, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin B12 recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization. Primary focus was placed on iron and vitamin A. Cost and bulk constraint analyses, based on cost of supplement, feasibility of delivery, and serving volume needed to achieve micronutrient targets, were used for comparing the supplement options. In terms of these analyses, the micronutrient multimix proved, by far, to be the most advantageous. Food options, however, are arguably desirable in that they provide dietary benefits additional to that of known micronutrients and may increase demand to boost production of domestic fruits and vegetables for the population as a whole. The study concludes that it is cost-effective to use powdered micronutrient mixes for such specific purposes as enrichment of supplementary food and food fortification, but encourages production and consumption of micronutrient-rich foods through programme messages and activities.