# Benzyl Alcohol Antimicrobial Efficacy



## powders101 (Jun 6, 2012)

By: SV-1

Maybe this will help convince some people that they're not gonna die if they don't bake the sh*t out of their juice. Concentrate on clean conditions, proper technique, use a good filter (.2 micron) and you should be fine.

Development of a Multidose Formulation for a Humanized Monoclonal Antibody Using Experimental Design Techniques

"The efficacy of the preservative against various microorganisms was measured using a modified USP/EP PET (referred to as preservative screening test in this document). Tests were conducted at Microconsult Inc (Dallas, TX). In the procedure, formulations were tested against the following microorganisms: Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, and Aspergillus niger. The 3 bacterial strains were inoculated together at a total concentration of ~105 cfu/mL, as were the 2 fungi. Samples were incubated for 7 days at room temperature (25°C), and the total bacterial and fungal counts were measured using a colony counter. The log reduction (LR) values for the bacterial and fungal counts were calculated as log (initial count/final count)."

"Results of the preservative screening tests showed that the formulations containing 0.75% and 0.5% benzyl alcohol are potential candidates to meet the USP/EP criteria (Table 4). Both formulations demonstrated a complete kill of the tested bacterial and fungal species after 7 days. For all other samples, either the total bacterial count after 7 days was too numerous to count, or no effective reduction in the bacterial count was observed."

"Benzyl alcohol caused significant aggregation at high concentrations (≥1.0%); however, it was the most effective preservative in maintaining antimicrobial efficacy against bacteria and fungi."


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## snatch (Jun 6, 2012)

This is good in conjunction with micropore filtration, but neither can replace the other. Micropore filtration isn't perfect, but it's damn good:

http://pubs.acs.org.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/doi/abs/10.1021/es800720n

*"Influence of Size, Shape, and Flexibility on Bacterial Passage through Micropore Membrane Filters"*







Note that these are the smallest bacteria they could come up with; filter your product through 0.45->0.22->0.1 and the CFU count will be so low your body has an extremely good chance of killing anything that gets in. No baking necessary; micropore filtration is routinely used to sterilize heat sensitive liquids.

Edit: While I have this open, here are some SEM images of bacteria caught in micropore filters for your enjoyment. Note that the first one actually makes it through just fine, so use BA.


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