{"title":"Pervaporation of hypochlorous acid using a hollow fiber membrane made from silicone rubber and its application for indoor disinfection.","authors":"Ayaka Sakurai, Chisato Shimada, Satoshi Fukuzaki","doi":"10.4265/jmc.30.4_115","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4265/jmc.30.4_115","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The high permeability of silicone rubber is beneficial for use in membranes for pervaporation. In this study, pervaporation of hypochlorous acid (HOCl) was studied using a separation module containing a 6,000 silicone rubber (SR) hollow fiber membrane. Pervaporation experiments were conducted in a 1 m<sup>3</sup> chamber. The membrane module was operated without using a vacuum pump, and the permeation of HOCl proceeded according to the solution-diffusion process. When weakly acidic (pH 5.0) hypochlorite solutions with concentrations of 100-1,000 mg/L were fed through the lumen of the SR hollow fiber membrane, the permeation of HOCl proceeded spontaneously under atmospheric pressure. During the operation of the membrane module, the concentration of gaseous hypochlorous acid (HOCl<sub>(g)</sub>) in the chamber gradually increased and reached a steady state. The steady-state HOCl<sub>(g)</sub> concentration increased as the concentration of undissociated hypochlorous acids (HOCl<sub>(aq)</sub>) in the feed hypochlorite solutions increased. An exponential dependence of the steady-state HOCl<sub>(g)</sub> concentration on the steady-state HOCl<sub>(aq)</sub> concentration was observed. Operation of the SR hollow fiber membrane fed with weakly acidic hypochlorite solutions (i.e., 500 mg/L) in a 75 m<sup>3</sup> room resulted in a uniform distribution of 7-10 ppb HOCl<sub>(g)</sub>, thereby exerting a moderate bactericidal effect against Staphylococcus aureus cells.</p>","PeriodicalId":73831,"journal":{"name":"Journal of microorganism control","volume":"30 4","pages":"115-120"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145758325","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effect of peracetic acid cleaning agents on biofilms by Methylobacterium spp. derived from hemodialysis equipment.","authors":"Eiichi Osono, Kazumi Honda, Yuki Inoue, Kyoko Ichimura, Hideki Negishi, Takuya Kumagai, Takeo Shimizu, Naoya Miyazawa, Mizuki Tomita, Akane Kobayashi, Ryoichi Akiyama, Chisako Kamano, Shun Takaku, Toshio Akimoto, Yoshihiko Norose, Rimpei Morita","doi":"10.4265/jmc.30.2_49","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4265/jmc.30.2_49","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We evaluated the efficacy of peracetic acid (PAA) products in disinfecting Methylobacterium radiotolerans biofilms within hemodialysis systems, using a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) biofilm reactor. Twelve PAA products were tested with an appropriate neutralization. All products completely eradicated planktonic bacteria within 10 minutes. In contrast, the effectiveness against biofilms varied, with log reduction values (LRVs) ranging from 2.47 to 9.40, depending on PAA concentration. Products with higher hydrogen peroxide concentrations achieved greater LRVs at the same PAA concentrations, although its effect was secondary. Similar to sodium hypochlorite, extended reaction times further improved LRVs, even at higher dilutions. These findings suggest that PAA products are promising alternatives for the routine biofilm control in dialysis systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":73831,"journal":{"name":"Journal of microorganism control","volume":"30 2","pages":"49-53"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144509844","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Oral local factors affecting candida colonization in patients undergoing perioperative oral care.","authors":"Kei Fujishima, Tetsuya Sakuta, Naofumi Tamaki","doi":"10.4265/jmc.30.1_27","DOIUrl":"10.4265/jmc.30.1_27","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Recently, perioperative oral function management, focusing on oral care, has been considered important from the perspective of preventing infections caused by oral microorganisms. One of the infectious diseases that should be prevented is oral candidiasis. The purpose of this study was to clarify the oral local factors related to Candida colonization in perioperative patients. The analyses of the relationship between oral local factors and Candida colonization revealed that three factors - a reduction in the number of remaining teeth, wearing dentures, and increased dry mouth - were related to Candida colonization. The oral local factors related to Candida colonization identified in this study may be useful indicators for easily and quickly determining whether or not Candida colonization is present. It is difficult to perform bacteriological tests on all perioperative patients, who are subject to various constraints, including physical, mental, and time constraints, so we hope that oral examinations focusing on these oral local factors would provide a foothold in preventing the onset of oral candidiasis in perioperative patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":73831,"journal":{"name":"Journal of microorganism control","volume":"30 1","pages":"27-31"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143732588","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Volatilization and disinfection efficacy of gaseous hypochlorous acid from an air washer-type humidifier in a large space.","authors":"Shun Nojima, Soshi Omura, Satoshi Fukuzaki","doi":"10.4265/jmc.29.3_105","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4265/jmc.29.3_105","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>An air washer-type humidifier has two useful functions: humidification, and air purification, and it applies to large indoor spaces. In this study, the efficacy of an air washer-type humidifier fed with 24 L of weakly acidic electrolyzed water(WAEW) at pH 5.0 and 30 mg/L in disinfecting attached bacteria and airborne microorganisms was studied in a 480 <sup>m3</sup> indoor space. The humidifier was operated at a shower volume of 9.0 L/min of WAEW and at an air flow rate of 29 <sup>m3</sup>/min. Volatilization of gaseous hypochlorous acid(HOCl<sub>(g)</sub>) proceeded according to first-order kinetics during the 60 min of operation. Fresh WAEW was supplied to the humidifier every 60 min, and the HOCl<sub>(g)</sub> concentration in the indoor space was maintained within the range of 25-52 ppb for at least 180 min of operation. The number of viable bacterial cells on wet agar plates placed on the floor at a distance of 5-20 m away from the humidifier decreased by 2.0-3.0 log after 30 min of operation, and no viable cells were detected after 60 min of operation. A logarithmic reduction of more than 2.7 was achieved within 15 min against bacteria-attached plates placed at a 1.5 m-height position where the outlet airflow from the humidifier was directly exposed. This indicates that the disinfection efficacy of HOCl<sub>(g)</sub> volatilized from the humidifier depends on the rate of outlet airflow reaching the bacteria-attached plates. The number of viable airborne microorganisms decreased by approximately 54% after 180 min of operation. This study demonstrated that an air-washer-type humidifier can spread HOCl<sub>(g)</sub> evenly throughout a large indoor space and is effective in disinfecting attached bacteria and airborne microorganisms.</p>","PeriodicalId":73831,"journal":{"name":"Journal of microorganism control","volume":"29 3","pages":"105-111"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142333903","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Ethambutol inhibited the growth of acid-fast bacteria and enhanced the detection of Legionella in environmental water samples.","authors":"Hiroaki Inoue, Marin Taguchi, Manami Kitazume, Yukie Saito, Tomoyuki Iwasawa","doi":"10.4265/jmc.29.1_1","DOIUrl":"10.4265/jmc.29.1_1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The growth of acid-fast bacteria often hinders the detection of Legionella in water samples on agar plates by the plate culture method. We studied whether anti-tubercular agents inhibit acid-fast bacteria growth on agar plates. First, the antimicrobial activities of isoniazid, ethionamide, and ethambutol were evaluated against Mycobacterium and Legionella. We found that ethambutol at ≥ 100 μg/mL completely inhibited Mycobacterium growth, but ethambutol at 1,000 μg/mL did not inhibit Legionella growth. Next, the effect of ethambutol dissolved in acid buffer was examined. Cell suspensions of L. pneumophila and Mycobacterium spp. were mixed, and ethambutol-acid buffer was added. After 5 min, mixtures were inoculated on GVPC agar plates and incubated at 36℃ for 6 d. We found that ethambutol inhibited Mycobacterium growth on agar plates, but the Legionella colonies recovered. The effect of ethambutol was also significant in the evaluation using bathwaters. Comparing 1,302 bathwaters, the addition of ethambutol reduced the detection rate of acid-fast bacteria from 30.6% to 0% and increased the detection rate of Legionella from 7.1% to 7.5%. Ethambutol, which selectively inhibited acid-fast bacteria growth, enhanced the detection of Legionella on agar plates and will contribute to improving the accuracy of Legionella testing by the plate culture method.</p>","PeriodicalId":73831,"journal":{"name":"Journal of microorganism control","volume":"29 1","pages":"1-7"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140178061","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"External quality control survey on identification of microorganisms using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.","authors":"Kazuyuki Sogawa, Azumi Fujinaga, Hajime Okumura, Makiko Kiyosuke, Syota Murata, Koji Kusaba, Kohei Uechi, Kazuki Horiuchi, Kazunari Yasuda, Masami Murakami, Tomohiro Nakayama","doi":"10.4265/jmc.29.1_49","DOIUrl":"10.4265/jmc.29.1_49","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry( MALDI-TOF MS) is a bacterial typing tool that was approved as a medical device in 2011. However, external accuracy control examination of bacterial typing using mass spectrometry is still only performed on a small scale. In this study, E. faecium and S. maltophilia were selected and tested according to established procedures using Score Values at 228 institutions. The Score Values for MALDI Biotyper were 2.43±0.08 for E. faecium and 2.38±0.08 for S. maltophilia; and those for VITEK MS/PRIME were 99.9±0.0 for E. faecium and S. maltophilia. These results suggest that it is useful to evaluate external accuracy control with Score Values using the procedures we have developed.</p>","PeriodicalId":73831,"journal":{"name":"Journal of microorganism control","volume":"29 1","pages":"49-53"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140178062","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Heparinoid enhances the efficacy of a bactericidal agent by preventing Cutibacterium acnes biofilm formation via quorum sensing inhibition.","authors":"Shoko Hamada, Sayaka Minami, Mitsuhiro Gomi","doi":"10.4265/jmc.29.1_27","DOIUrl":"10.4265/jmc.29.1_27","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cutibacterium acnes is an opportunistic pathogen in acne vulgaris. C. acnes produces autoinducer-2 (AI-2), a signaling molecule used for communication known as quorum sensing (QS). In C. acnes, QS reportedly upregulates biofilm formation leading to resistance against bactericidal agents. In this study, we analyzed how heparinoid affected QS and biofilm formation of the opportunistic pathogen C. acnes. We also verified whether heparinoid would suppress biofilm formation and enhance the efficacy of the bactericidal agent 4-isopropyl-3-methylphenol (IPMP) against C. acnes biofilms. We ran an AI-2 bioassay using Vibrio harveyi ATCC BBA-1121. Heparinoid exhibited inhibitory activity against AI-2 at concentrations of 0.003-0.005%, suggesting an AI-2 analog-derived or C. acnes culture supernatant-derived inhibition of the AI-2 activity. To evaluate how heparinoid suppresses biofilm formation in C. acnes, we completed a biofilm assay in 96-well plates. We also evaluated the bactericidal activity of IPMP against the C. acnes biofilm prepared with or without heparinoid. Heparinoid inhibited C. acnes biofilm formation and IPMP bactericidal efficacy increased upon heparinoid-mediated suppression of biofilm formation. In this study, we clarified that heparinoid inhibits the AI-2-mediated QS of C. acnes, thereby suppressing biofilm formation and increasing IPMP bactericidal efficacy, potentially suppressing acne vulgaris.</p>","PeriodicalId":73831,"journal":{"name":"Journal of microorganism control","volume":"29 1","pages":"27-31"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140178063","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mohammad Tamrin Mohamad Lal, Leong Seng Lim, Lik-Ming Lau, Elden Sai Long Chang, Asyraf Abdul Momin, Muhd Sharil Izzan Hamid
{"title":"Fungal infections and control strategies in cultured marine finfish: a minireview.","authors":"Mohammad Tamrin Mohamad Lal, Leong Seng Lim, Lik-Ming Lau, Elden Sai Long Chang, Asyraf Abdul Momin, Muhd Sharil Izzan Hamid","doi":"10.4265/jmc.29.4_127","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4265/jmc.29.4_127","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Marine fish farming served as a sustainable alternative to capture fisheries. However, it faced challenges such as disease management, water quality maintenance, and minimizing environmental impacts. Among these challenges, fungal infections are particularly concerning. Traditionally, chemical treatments raise concerns about potential toxicity to fish and humans, environmental impact, and resistance development. In response to these issues, there is growing interest in sustainable biocontrol strategies, including the use of probiotics, phytobiotics, postbiotics, microalgae, and fungal parasites as antifungal agents. This mini-review provides a brief overview of fungal infections in marine fish and discusses current fungal biocontrol strategies in aquaculture. By adopting these sustainable control methods, the aquaculture industry can improve fish health and productivity while reducing its reliance on harmful chemicals.</p>","PeriodicalId":73831,"journal":{"name":"Journal of microorganism control","volume":"29 4","pages":"127-132"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142980923","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hyojin Gim, Sangah Hong, Hyungyung Park, Sunghyun Im, Jong Il Kim
{"title":"Synergistic/antagonistic antimicrobial effects of cosmetic ingredients in combination with 1,2-hexanediol.","authors":"Hyojin Gim, Sangah Hong, Hyungyung Park, Sunghyun Im, Jong Il Kim","doi":"10.4265/jmc.29.4_133","DOIUrl":"10.4265/jmc.29.4_133","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>With the rise of the clean beauty trend in the cosmetics and personal care industry, consumers' interest in cosmetic ingredients, especially preservatives, continues to grow. Paraben, previously the most used preservative in cosmetics, has been excluded from many products owing to its potential risks. Therefore, a movement to lower the content of various preservatives is ongoing. One approach to achieve a suitable level of preservation is to use multifunctional ingredients as preservative boosters. In this study, we aimed to confirm the synergistic antimicrobial interactions between various cosmetic ingredients and 1,2-hexanediol, a preservative introduced as a substitute for paraben, using the checkerboard assay. We also measured the antagonistic effect by measuring the fold changes in the minimum inhibitory concentration of 1,2-hexanediol. Niacinamide, a form of vitamin B3, showed synergistic antifungal activity with 1,2-hexanediol, which lowered the content of 1,2-hexanediol in the oil-solubilized toner formulation. Among the substances, 50000 ppm of methyl methacrylate crosspolymer elevated the minimum inhibitory concentration of 1,2-hexanediol against bacteria and fungi by 2‒8 times. Through this study, we suggest applying the synergistic effects of various cosmetic ingredients in the formulation as a method to effectively reduce the content of preservatives.</p>","PeriodicalId":73831,"journal":{"name":"Journal of microorganism control","volume":"29 4","pages":"133-142"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142980926","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"MALDI-TOF MS analysis for detection of bovine coronavirus with tryptic peptides from viral proteins.","authors":"Katsuhiko Hayashi, Kenji Ohya, Tomoya Yoshinari, Shouhei Hirose, Souta Shimizu, Yuji Morita, Takahiro Ohnishi, Maiko Watanabe, Satoshi Taharaguchi, Hirohisa Mekata, Takahide Taniguchi, Yukiko Hara-Kudo","doi":"10.4265/jmc.29.4_143","DOIUrl":"10.4265/jmc.29.4_143","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bovine coronavirus (BCoV), a significant cattle pathogen causing enteric and respiratory diseases, is primarily detected using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Our objective was to develop a novel detection method for BCoV by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization‒time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Peptide mass fingerprint analysis revealed that nucleocapsid (N), membrane (M), and hemagglutinin-esterase (HE) were three main BCoV proteins. Their tryptic peptides were used as target molecules for BCoV detection. When the tryptic digest of 10<sup>7.0</sup> viral copies was analyzed by MALDI-TOF MS, five peptides with relatively strong peaks were detected. The detection limit was between 10<sup>5.0</sup> and 10<sup>6.0</sup> copies per test for BCoV alone. To detect BCoV in the swab eluate, ultrafiltration purification achieved a detection limit between 10<sup>6.0</sup> and 10<sup>7.0</sup> copies per test, sufficient to detect BCoV-infected calves. Our findings offer valuable insights for BCoV detection by MALDI-TOF MS.</p>","PeriodicalId":73831,"journal":{"name":"Journal of microorganism control","volume":"29 4","pages":"143-151"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143056165","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}