14. Antimicrobial properties of hydrogen peroxide and potash alum alone and in combination against clinical bacterial isolates

Abstract

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and potash alum (ALM) are considered important for wide range of biological activities including microbial disinfection. However, comparison of H₂O₂ and ALM antibacterial effect alone and in combination on different clinical bacterial isolates with respect to post treatment time is still not well studied. Thus, in present study we tested susceptibility of five bacterial isolates; Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis), Enterococcus faecium (E. faecium), Escherichia coli (E. coli), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumonia) against H₂O₂ and ALM alone and in combination which showed concentration dependent and incubation dependent effect. The H₂O₂ bacterial susceptibility trend was E. coli>K. pneumoniae>S. aureus>E. faecium>E. faecalis and ALM susceptibility trend was as K. pneumoniae>S. aureus>E. faecalis>E. coli >E. faecium at highest tested concentration (35mg/ml) and 24hr of incubation period. Comparatively, antimicrobial activity was higher with H₂O₂ than ALM however in the order of 24hr > 48hr >72hr. Both H₂O₂ and ALM showed more zones of inhibition at highest tested concentration than positive control azithromycin (AZI) against E. faecalis, E. faecium and S. aureus at all incubation periods. Moreover, H₂O₂ and ALM in combination (1:1) showed increased zone of inhibition than ALM alone (against all bacteria), H₂O₂ alone (against E. faecalis and E. faecium) and, AZI (against E. faecalis, E. faecium and S. aureus) without increasing final concentration. Thus, combination treatment might be more effective disinfection and antisepsis strategy which may help us in minimizing dose dependent side effects without compromising efficacy.

Keywords: Combination; Hydrogen peroxide; Potash alum; Zones of inhibition

http://dx.doi.org/10.19045/bspab.2019.80169