F. Belda

Inactivation of hepatitis B virus : evaluation of the efficacy of the disinfectant 'Solprogel' using a DNA-polymerase activity assay

The effects of sodium dichloroisocyanurate (NaDCC) and Solprogel (Laboratorios Inibsa, S.A., Barcelona, Spain), a compound that contains NaDCC plus a biodegradable polymer of acrylic acid, on the activity of DNA polymerase (DNA-P) associated with hepatitis B virus in serum were evaluated. DNA-P positive and negative pools of human serum samples were used as positive and negative stock virus. Inhibition of DNA-P activity by NaDCC and the commercial product was found to be concentration-dependent. Two minutes exposure to the minimum effective concentration of NaDCC (1000 ppm available chlorine) or Solprogel 16% (960 ppm available chlorine) totally inhibited DNA-P activity.

Gas chromatographic whole-cell fatty acid analysis as an aid for the identification of mixed mycobacterial cultures

Gas chromatographic analysis of whole-cell fatty acids, secondary alcohols and mycolic acid cleavage products could be a useful technique in checking mixed mycobacterial cultures. The mixed cultures were confirmed when species-specific compounds of different mycobacterial species were detected in the same chromatogram.

Evaluation of the disinfectant effect of Solprogel against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1).

The antiviral activities of sodium dichloroisocyanurate (NaDCC) and a commercial product (Solprogel 2%) against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) were investigated using a quantitative suspension test method. Solprogel is a compound that contains NaDCC and a biodegradable polymer of acrylic acid. Viral suspensions were prepared containing 3.2 x 10(6) tissue culture infective dose 50 (TCID50) in culture media. Syncytium formation in the MT-2 line and HIV antigen p24 on the supernatant of the cultures were used to determine viral titre. Results indicate that satisfactory disinfection (1000-fold reduction in 5 min) can be achieved using NaDCC and Solprogel at concentrations of 100 and 120 ppm available chlorine, respectively.