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Physicochemical factors affecting the rapid bactericidal efficacy of the phenolic antibacterial triclosan
Author(s) -
Taylor T. J.,
Seitz E. P.,
Fox P.,
Fischler G. E.,
Fuls J. L.,
Weidner P. L.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
international journal of cosmetic science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.532
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1468-2494
pISSN - 0142-5463
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-2494.2004.00205.x
Subject(s) - pulmonary surfactant , triclosan , chemistry , micelle , aqueous solution , bioavailability , solubility , mode of action , saturation (graph theory) , chromatography , nuclear chemistry , antibacterial agent , organic chemistry , biochemistry , antibiotics , pharmacology , pathology , combinatorics , medicine , mathematics
Synopsis The antimicrobial activity of triclosan (TCS; 2,4,4′‐trichloro‐2′‐hydroxydiphenyl ether) in aqueous solutions is shown to directly depend upon two key physicochemical parameters: % saturation and saturation solubility. Saturated solutions of TCS in water, water–propylene glycol (PG) mixtures, and aqueous surfactant systems are shown to effect rapid, potent bacterial reductions (e.g. >4log 10 reduction of Staphylococcus aureus in 15 s contact time in a time kill suspension test). In surfactant solutions, increasing the surfactant: TCS ratio causes a decrease in antibacterial efficacy, consistent with a model for micellar solubilization where the micelle binding constant, K (= X / c w ) increases with decreasing TCS concentration in the micelles ( X ), resulting in decreased concentration of bioavailable TCS in the water (continuous) phase ( c w ). The rapid and potent reductions of bacteria reported here were surprising and support the existence of a non‐specific mode of action for TCS, such as gross membrane disruption, in addition to the specific modes of action reported by others.