Santhakumar Raja

This method depends on the microbial culture growth in a uniform solution of antibiotic in a fluid medium favourable to its rapid growth in the absence of antibiotic. This method involves a shorter incubation period (4-5 hours) for the growth of test microorganism. However, this assay method is affected by the presence of solvent residues

Antibiotics are the agents that kill or reduce the bacterial growth. They belong to a class of antimicrobials (a larger group also comprising of anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti- . parasitic drugs). Antibiotics are chemicals either derived from or produced by the microorganisms (i.e., bugs or germs such as bacteria and fungi). The methods of microbiological

The steps by which microbial contamination of products can be prevented in aseptic areas are discussed below: Personnel : They can take the following measures: Access to production areas by the unauthorised personnel should be restricted, and only trained ones should be allowed to enter. Adequate personnel hygiene should be maintained. The personnel should be

There are various contamination sources in an aseptic area, which are discussed below: Personnel : Those supervising, performing, or controlling drug manufacturing are a potential source of microbial contamination, due to the following reasons: Inadequate training, Direct contact between the hands and starting materials, primary packing materials, and intermediate or bulk products, Improper hygiene, Unauthorised

A laminar airflow hood is of two types: Horizontal Airflow Hoods These hoods (figure) sweep the filtered air from the back to the front of the hood. An electrical blower draws the contaminated room air using a pre-filter (similar to a furnace filter), to remove gross contaminants. The pre-filter demands timely cleanliness and replacement. The

A Laminar Airflow Hood (LAFH)/ Laminar Aseptic Hoods, or a workbench, is a primary engineering control device which provides the following services during aseptic compounding: Clean air to the critical sites (immediate aseptic compounding area), Constant flow of air out of the work area to prevent the entry of room air, and Outward flow of

Following three culture media are commonly used to perform the tests for sterility: Nutrient Broth : This medium is used for aerobic microorganisms and have the following features: The value of redox potential (Eh) of this medium is too high to allow the growth of anaerobes. The culture medium, such as soyabean casein digest broth, Hartley’s

For the evaluation of efficiency, potency, and reactivity of disinfectants following techniques are used: Tube dilution and agar plate method, Cup-plate, filter paper, and cylinder plate method, Ditch-plate or giant colony method, Kelsey-Sykes test, In-use dilution test, Phenol coefficient test – Rideal-Walker test, and Chick-Martin test. Tube Dilution and Agar Plate Method The chemical disinfecting

Extent of antimicrobial action, rate of disinfection, and potency of a disinfectant depends on the following factors: Concentration of Disinfectant : Concentration of the disinfectant directly influences the rate of killing microorganisms. The curve obtained between the efficiency and concentration of disinfectant is generally exponential, rather than linear. Temperature : Normally, on increasing the temperature

Disinfectants are classified on the basis of the following factors: Based on Consistency : On the basis of consistency or state of matter, disinfectant are of two types: Liquid (e.g., alcohols, phenols), and Gaseous (e.g., formaldehyde vapour). Based on Spectrum of Activity : On the basis of spectrum of activity, disinfectant are of three types: High Level