Modes of Action

Curtis Jones
ITT-Technical Institute
SC2730
January 19, 2015

Antiseptics / Disinfectants

Antiseptics = Agents that destroy or inhibit the

growth and development of microorganisms in or
on living tissue

Disinfectants = Antimicrobial agents that are

applied to non-living objects to destroy
microorganisms.

BIOCIDES

Wide variety of active chemical agents found in

Antiseptics and Disinfectants

Many of which have been used for hundreds of

years
ALCOHOLS

PHENOLS
IODINES
CHLORINE

MODES OF ACTION (ALCOHOL)

GENERALLY

BELIEVED TO CAUSE MEMBRANE

DAMAGE AND RAPID DENATURATION OF
PROTEINS, WITH SUBSEQUENT
INTERFERENCE WITH METABOLISM AND CELL
LYSIS

MODES OF ACTION (IODINES)

RAPID

(EVEN AT LOW CONCENTRATIONS)

ATTACKS

KEY GROUPS OF PROTEINS (IN

PARTICULAR THE FREE-SULFUR AMINO ACIDS
CYSTEINE AND METHIONINE), NUCLEOTIDES,
AND FATTY ACIDS

MODES OF ACTION (CHLORINE)

HIGHLY ACTIVE
DESTROYS

OXIDIZING AGENTS

THE CELLULAR ACTIVITY OF

PROTEINS
POTENTIATION

MAY OCCUR AT LOW pH

ACCEPTABLE USES (ALCOHOL)

MOST WIDELY USED = ETHYL (ETHANOL),

ISOPROPYL (ISOPROPANOL, PROPAN-2-OL), AND nPROPONAL

HARD-SURFACE DISINFECTION AND SKIN ANTISEPSIS

NOT RECOMMENDED FOR STERILIZATION

ACCEPTABLE USES (IODINES)

MOST

WIDELY USED = POVIDONE-IODINE AND

POLOXAMER-IODINE

USED

AS BOTH ANTISEPTICS AND

DISINFECTANTS

ACCEPTABLE USES (CHLORINES)

MOST IMPORTANT TYPES ARE: SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE,

CHLORINE DIOXIDE, AND THE N-CHLORO COMPOUNDS
(SUCH AS SODIUM DICHLOROISOCYANURATE)

SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE USED FOR HARD-SURFACE

DISINFECTION (HOUSEHOLD BLEACH) AND CAN BE USED
FOR DISINFECTING SPILLAGE OF BLOOD CONTAINING
HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS OR HBV

HAZARDS (ALCOHOL)
IRRITANT
FIRE

RISK

TO EYES, NOSE, AND THROAT

HAZARDS (CHLORINES)

CORROSIVE IN CONCENTRATED FORM

IRRITANT TO SKIN AND EYES IN DILUTED FORM

REFERENCES
(2015) Antiseptics and Disinfectants: Activity, Action, and Resistance NCBI from
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC88911/
(2015) Controlling exposures to disinfectants used in food and drink industries
Health and Safety Executive from
http://www.hse.gov.uk/food/disinfectants.htm