A Novel Surfactant Nanoemulsion with Broad-Spectrum Sporicidal Activity against Bacillus Species

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 180; no. 6; pp. 1939 - 1949
• Main Authors: Hamouda, Tarek, Hayes, Michael M., Cao, Zhengyi, Tonda, Richard, Johnson, Kent, Wright, D. Craig, Brisker, Joan, Baker, James R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL The University of Chicago Press 01-12-1999; University of Chicago Press; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Animals; Anthrax; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Anti-Bacterial Agents - toxicity; Antibacterial agents; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Bacillaceae Infections - drug therapy; Bacillus; Bacillus - drug effects; Bacillus - physiology; Bacillus anthracis; Bacillus cereus; Bacillus cereus - drug effects; Bacterial spores; BCTP; BCTP 401; Biological and medical sciences; Colony Count, Microbial; Disease Models, Animal; Emulsions; Germination; Glycerides - pharmacology; Glycerides - therapeutic use; Glycerides - toxicity; Humans; Infections; Lesions; Major Articles; Medical sciences; Mice; Microscopy, Electron; Octoxynol - pharmacology; Octoxynol - therapeutic use; Octoxynol - toxicity; Organophosphates - pharmacology; Organophosphates - therapeutic use; Organophosphates - toxicity; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Polysorbates - pharmacology; Polysorbates - therapeutic use; Polysorbates - toxicity; Soybean Oil - pharmacology; Soybean Oil - therapeutic use; Soybean Oil - toxicity; Spore germination; Spores; Spores, Bacterial - drug effects; Surface-Active Agents - pharmacology; Surface-Active Agents - therapeutic use; Surface-Active Agents - toxicity; Wound Infection - drug therapy; Wound Infection - microbiology; Toxicity; Rodentia; Bacillaceae; Surfactant; Biological activity; Spores; Bactericidal effect; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Bacillales; Mouse; Animal; Bacillus; Bacteria; Subcutaneous administration; Kinetics; Antibacterial agent; Biocide
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1086/315124

Two nontoxic, antimicrobial nanoemulsions, BCTP and BCTP 401, have been developed. These emulsions are composed of detergents and oils in 80% water. BCTP diluted up to 1 : 1000 inactivated 190% of Bacillus anthracis spores in 4 h and was also sporicidal against three other Bacillus species. This sporicidal activity is due to disruption of the spore coat after initiation of germination without complete outgrowth. BCTP 401 diluted 1 : 1000 had greater activity than BCTP against Bacillus spores and had an onset of action of <30 min. Mixing BCTP or BCTP 401 with Bacillus cereus prior to subcutaneous injection in mice reduced the resulting skin lesion by 99%. Wound irrigation with BCTP 1 h after spore inoculation yielded a 98% reduction in skin lesion size, and mortality was reduced 3-fold. These nanoemulsion formulas are stable, easily dispersed, nonirritant, and nontoxic compared with other available sporicidal agents.