Copper-tripeptide complexes for rapid inactivation of Bacillus subtilis endospores

Bacterial endospores can be pathogenic to human beings. However, they are robust and thus difficult to kill due to their rigid structure. Conventional methods such as autoclaving for inactivating endospores are energy-intensive and time-consuming. In this study, we developed a copper-tripeptide complexes reagent composed of copper-tripeptide complexes, hydrogen peroxide, and cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), to kill endospores. This copper-tripeptide complexes reagent can achieve a 10^7.8-fold reduction in viable endospore count after 60-min treatment at ambient conditions. As a cost-effective and stable sporicidal agent, this reagent may be applied as a general-purpose disinfectant and a replacement of standard sterilization procedures in the future.