Antibacterial Effect of Lavender （Lavandula） Flavor （Volatile）

The objective of this study was to test the essential oil-emitted flavor （volatile） of lavender by bacteria killing potency using Escherichia coli, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus （MRSA）, enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157：H7, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans. Antibacterial activity was assessed by creating of the bacterial growth curve in the liquid medium cultivation and the growth inhibition on the agar plate cultivation. Citronellal, one of compounds in Rosa rugose oil, was used as a positive control for comparison in activity. The results showed that lavender and citronellal flavor （volatile） or oil respectively demonstrated bacteria killing effect in both analytical manners. However, P. aeruginosa resisted bacteria killing potency of lavender （citronellal） oil or oil-emitted flavor. It could be concluded that both lavender oil-emitted flavor and oil showed bacteria killing potency. Lavender oil （or oil-emitted flavor） will be expected to apply for the patient waiting room to disinfect in air along with the mental relaxation of the patient.

Antibacterial surfaces:Strategies and applications

Antibacterial surfaces are surfaces that can resist bacteria,relying on the nature of the material itself.It is significant for safe food and water,human health,and industrial equipment.Biofilm is the main form of bacterial contamination on the material surface.Preventing the formation of biofilm is an efficient way to develop antibacterial surfaces.The strategy for constructing the antibacterial surface is divided into bacteria repelling and bacteria killing based on the formation of the biofilm.Material surface wettability,adhesion,and steric hindrance determine bacteria repelling performance.Bacteria should be killed by surface chemistry or physical structures when they are attached to a material surface irreversibly.Killing approaches are usually in the light of the cell membrane of bacteria.This review summarizes the fabrication methods and applications of antibacterial surfaces from the view of the treatment of the material surfaces.We also present several crucial points for developing long-term stability,no drug resistance,broad-spectrum,and even programable antibacterial surfaces.

Stop Trying Too Hard to Kill Bacteria

“细菌”带给人们的是不快的感觉。因此长期以来,人类发明了各种各样的抗生素与细菌作斗争,结果并不理想,因为不少细菌进化成了耐抗生素的物种。对此,专家疾呼“住手”,细菌,并非都是人类的敌人,不知下面这句颇具人情味的话会使你产生怎样的联想:Let’s make peace。We should say’be kind tobacteria。They are our friends’。】

Bad Bug Does Good A benign bacteria that kills human pathogens could become the first in a new line of weapons—living antibiotics

“以毒攻毒”,中国的传统医学一直在实践着这一体现着“对立统一”的辩证理论。今天,德国科学家Stephan Schuster对Bdellovibrio这一蛭弧菌的基因组的研究再次印证了这一点,而且似乎给许多细菌感染患者带来了福音。