Abstract

CHITOSAN OR BENZALKONIUM CHLORIDES TOWARDS BACTERIAL ISOLATES Of FRUITS CONTAMINANTS: WHICH ANTISEPTIC IS MORE EFFECTIVE?

Sri Agung Fitri Kusuma*, Sulistiyaningsih and Fitrah Muchammad

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Abstract

Objective: The overall objective of this study was to compare the antiseptic effect of chitosan and benzalkonium chlorides towards bacterial isolates. Methods: The tested bacteria were isolated from the immersing water of fresh fruit. The antibacterial effect of both antiseptic agents on bacterial growth was observed by calculating the the surviving bacterial colonies after certain exposure time. Results: This study finding that from the immersing sterile physiological sodium chloride (300 mL) of 250 g fruit for 10 min exposure, found that 32 x 106 CFU/mL bacterial colonies were observed. In the presence of 2.3 x 104 CFU/mL bacterial growth, chitosan in the same concentration of benzalkonium chlorides could totally inhibited the bacterial growth than that of benzalkonium chlorides. The benzalkonium chloride could decreased the bacterial growth in 73.91%. Conclusion: It could be concluded that the chitosan was more effective to be a natural antiseptic than that of benzalkonium chlorides.

Keywords: antiseptics, chitosan, benzalkonium chlorides, fruit, isolates.