The control (inhibition) of

microbial growth
 How to control?
• The control or prevention of microbial growth is necessary in
many practical situations, particularly in health care, food
processing and preparation, and in the preservation of
materials.
• Control may be achieved using physical or chemical agents
that either kill microorganisms or inhibit their further growth.
• Agents which kill cells are called ‘-cidal’ agents, whereas ‘-
static’ agents inhibit the growth of cells without killing them.
• Sterilization procedures completely destroy or eliminate all
viable organisms, including spores, and may be performed
using heat, radiation and chemicals, or by the physical removal
of cells.
Microorganisms are not killed instantly on exposure to a lethal agent.
The population decreases exponentially, by a constant fraction at
constant intervals, and several factors influence the effectiveness of
any antimicrobial treatment. These include:
1 population size
2 population composition
3 concentration of the antimicrobial agent
4 period of exposure to the lethal agent
5 temperature
6 environmental conditions
 Decontamination
• Disinfection is the process of eliminating or
reducing harmful microorganisms from
inanimate objects and surfaces, with the
exception of bacterial spores.
• Sterilization is the process of killing
(destruction) all microorganisms.
 PHYSICAL
Sterilization
 Control by physical agent
• Control of microbial growth physicaly can be
done by using:
– HEAT
– LOW TEMPERATURE
– LOW WATER ACTIVITY
– IRRADIATION
– HIGH-INTENSITY PULSED ELECTRIC FIELD
TREATMENT
– STERILE FILTRATION
 HEAT
Whenever heat is used to control microbial growth both temperature and exposure time must be
considered. Heat is the most important and widely used means of sterilization and may be
achieved through:
1. Incineration, where burning at 500°C physically destroys the organisms and is particularly
useful for some solid wastes;
2. moist heat, which is suitable for sterilizing most items, except heat-labile substances that
would be denatured or destroyed. It is carried out using steam under pressure to achieve
121°C for 15 min, and is extensively used in fermentation processes for the sterilization of
vessels, connecting pipe work and culture media;
3. dry heat is less efficient than moist heat, requiring higher temperatures and much longer
exposure times. It is performed in hot air ovens at 160°C for 2 h, and can be used for
glassware, metal objects and moisture-sensitive materials such as powders and oils.
4. Boiling of aqueous solutions or immersion of solid objects in boiling water at 100°C for 30min
does not guarantee sterility. It kills most vegetative cells, but not all endospores. To kill
endospores, intermittent boiling or tyndallization is required. This involves exposure of the
material to elevated temperatures to kill the vegetative cells, followed by incubation at 37°C
to allow any spores to germinate and form new vegetative cells. A second exposure to
elevated temperatures kills the newly germinated vegetative cells.
5. Heat sterilization is commonly employed in canning and bottling, and ultra-high temperature
treatments (UHT) are used in some sterile packaging procedures.
6. Pasteurization is a milder heat treatment, used to reduce the number of microorganisms in
products or foods that are heat-sensitive and unable to withstand prolonged exposure to high
temperatures
LOW TEMPERATURE
• These treatments involve refrigeration or freezing. Organisms are not usually
killed, but the majority do not grow or grow very slowly at temperatures
below 5°C.
LOW WATER ACTIVITY
• This is used extensively to preserve foods, especially fruits, grains and some
meat products. Methods involve removal of water from the product by
heating or freeze-drying; alternatively, water activity may be reduced by the
addition of solutes, usually salt or sugar.
IRRADIATION
• Microwave, UV, X and g radiation can be used to destroy microorganisms. UV
radiation is effective, but its use is limited to surface sterilization because it
does not penetrate glass, dirt films, water and other substances. Ionizing
radiation treatment mostly involves X-rays or g-rays. This is particularly
effective due to its ability to penetrate materials.
• Irradiation is not accepted to sterilize food in worldwide due to the worries
of food mutation. However, it is now gaining greater acceptance, particularly
with the increased incidence of food-borne diseases such as E. coli 0157:H7.
HIGH-INTENSITY PULSED ELECTRIC FIELD TREATMENT
• This is another non-thermal treatment and involves exposing the material to an
electric field of 15–20kV/cm for just a few milliseconds or less. The underlying
mechanism of cell inactivation has not been fully elucidated, but is thought to
involve the breakdown of membranes through electroporation (i.e. the formation
of pores within the membranes).
STERILE FILTRATION
• Sterile filtration involves the physical removal of all cells from a liquid or gas. It is
especially useful for sterilizing heat labile solutions of antibiotics and other drugs,
amino acids, sugars, vitamins, animal cell culture media and some beverages.
• However, the resultant products may not be virus-free and ultrafiltration is
necessary to remove viruses.
• There are three main types of sterile filter:
– depth filters are thick fibrous or granular filters that remove microorganisms by physical
screening, entrapment and adsorption;
– membrane filters are thin filters with defined pore sizes, usually of 0.2 or 0.45mm, through
which the microorganisms cannot pass; and
– 3 high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters are used in laminar flow biological safety
cabinets and containment rooms to sterilize the air circulating in the enclosure.
CHEMICAL
Disinfection
 Control by CHEMICAL agent
• ANTISEPTICS AND DISINFECTANTS
• ANTIMICROBIAL PRESERVATIVES FOR FOOD
AND RELATED PRODUCTS
• ANTIBIOTICS
(See PDF, Page 39 - 44)
CLASSIFICATION OF ANTIBACTERIAL AGENTS

Antimicrobials are classified in several ways,

including:
• spectrum of activity
• Effect on bacteria
• mode of action
 Uses of Antibiotics
• A doctor prescribes antibiotics for
the treatment of a bacterial
infection. It is not effective
against viruses.
• If you have an infection, it is
important to know whether it is
bacterial or viral.
• Viruses cause most upper
respiratory tract infections, such
as the common cold and flu.
Antibiotics do not work against
these viruses.
 Use of Antibiotics
• If people overuse antibiotics or use them incorrectly,
there is a risk that the bacteria will become resistant.
This means that the antibiotic becomes less effective
against that type of bacterium, as the bacterium has
been able to improve its defenses.
• A doctor can prescribe a broad-spectrum antibiotic to
treat a wide range of infections. A narrow-spectrum
antibiotic is only effective against a few types of bacteria.
• In some cases, antibiotics may be given to prevent rather
than treat an infection, as might be the case before
surgery. This is called 'prophylactic' use of antibiotics.
 When to use antibiotics
• Ear pain: Both viruses and bacteria can cause ear pain. Your
doctor can tell if you have a bacterial infection and give you a
prescription for antibiotics.
• Sinus infection: If you have a long-lasting sinus infection, you
doctor might decide to start you on antibiotics. If you have
thick or green mucus, you probably don’t have a sinus
infection.
• Cough or bronchitis: Viruses usually cause bronchitis and
chough, antibiotics won’t help you get better.
• Sore throat: Viruses are the cause of most sore throat and
can’t be treated with antibiotics.
• Colds and flu: Viruses cause colds and flu. Antibiotics have no
effect on cold or flu. For most viral infection, you will feel
comfortable after the viral infection runs its course.