SOLUBILIZING AGENTS

Bacteria possess special features which help them attach to biotic and abiotic surfaces alike. Adhesion of bacteria to surfaces contribute to the spread of infections via contact with these surfaces, be it biotic or abiotic. On abiotic surfaces however, bacteria form biofilms, making them more difficult to eliminate. Solubilizing agents facilitate penetration of a substance into another in which it would be normally insoluble. They are used as cleaning agents, emulsifiers, vehicles, cosolvents, etc. Lactobacilli are a type of Gram-positive, nonsporulating bacteria. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of certain solubilizing agents to detach bacteria attached to an abiotic (glass) surface, by quantifying the bacterial cells grown from a solution of the solubilizing agent. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of the solubilizing agents were first determined. A non-inhibitory concentration of the solubilizing agent was then used to detach lactobacilli attached to a glass surface and the resulting solution was diluted serially and plated out. Quantitative bacterial quantification was performed by determining colony forming units/ml. Spectrophotometric method was used to qualitatively quantify bacterial detachment. Results showed a higher cell count from the solubilizing agent than from the control, indicating that they are indeed well able to elicit bacterial detachment from abiotic surfaces.