Green Chemical Technologies for a Sustainable Future

Hydrogen Peroxide

Peroxide has been at work in nature for thousands of generations, defending animals and humans against pathogenic invaders. Peroxide, also called ‘Nature’s own antimicrobial’, is the chemistry that the human body utilizes to prevent infections and spoilage, occurring naturally in human saliva and milk. Peroxide helps the body overcome invasive pathogens systemically, as it is secreted by white blood cells to kill invading pathogens as part of phagocytosis. Humans accomplish all this by creating enzymes to process hydrogen peroxide so that it does not harm us in biological quantities. High concentrations of hydrogen peroxide in liquid, gaseous, or even solid phases are still toxic to humans, though they are commonly found in many household activities like hair dyes and cleaning fluids. Low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide however are not toxic to humans, but are toxic to microorganisms.

Antimicrobial Resistance

Stay Fresh works through a mechanism involving disruption of cell walls and oxidative dissolution of organelles. Various antimicrobials have different methods of action, such as physically degrading the outside of the cell or causing death by modifying the cell or its genetic code from within. Most antimicrobial resistance mechanisms involve: adaptations in cell DNA to develop an immunity to the chemical, the cell ingesting the antimicrobial and flushing it out via efflux, or the formation of a biofilm to create a barrier between the cell and the antimicrobial. Biofilm formation also means that antimicrobials must act quickly.

The Cell Wall

Because microbial cell walls can be hardy, it is challenging for many antimicrobials to act directly on the cell wall. Cells also vary in cell wall structure, for example with graham positive and graham negative bacteria having different levels of toughness and therefore different levels of resilience against antimicrobials. This means that some antimicrobials are more effective against certain types of bacteria and less effective against others. It is difficult for bacteria to change their cell wall structure in a way to make it more able to withstand potent antimicrobials. A strong antimicrobial like Stay Fresh that works on the cell wall therefore acts via a mechanism not likely to result in antimicrobial resistance. Stay Fresh is what's called a broad spectrum antimicrobial, meaning that it works against a wide array of microorganisms and bacteria, including both graham positive and graham negative bacterial cells.

Hydrogen Peroxide in Nature

While they remain stable in Stay Fresh solids, hydrogen peroxide molecules break down quickly on their own in nature, especially in low concentrations. The only degradation products of hydrogen peroxide are water and oxygen. This means that hydrogen peroxide does not result in a large build up of antimicrobial in nature and makes it less likely to disrupt ecosystems or adversely impact water or food supply.

Nimbus Technology

Nimbus® technology is based on a polymeric quaternary biocidal molecule poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride), or polyDADMAC. The patented active antimicrobial agent is bound onto a solid surface, and acts on pathogens by physically disrupting the prokaryotic cell wall. The mechanism of cell wall disruption is induced by polymeric cationic biocides in detail as shown graphically:

Nimbus Mechanism of Action

Cationic polymer chains coordinate to the anionic segments of the phospholipid membrane, displacing stabilizing calcium ions. As increasing numbers of cell membrane molecules coordinate to the polymer, the integrity of the bacterial membrane is compromised, leading to gaps and holes in the cell wall.

De Novo Patent

Polymers are groups of monomers, or individual molecules, bonded together. As a polymer, Nimbus retains its integrity as one macromolecule and does not leach when exposed to water or surface contact. This technology was cleared by FDA as the only proven non-leaching microbicide in 2009, and has an excellent history of safe use globally in wound care. Nimbus as a microbicide is integrated into several products, including ocular care technologies and other medical devices, to keep the contents preserved without secreting toxic chemicals into the fluid.

Quick-Med Technologies

Both Nimbus and Stay Fresh are used in products cleared by the FDA for use directly on wound beds due to the excellent biocompatibility of both of the technologies. These technologies can be applied to prevent disease, as the specific mechanism of action are designed to ensure safety and good antimicrobial stewardship. These technologies have been extensively tested and proven effective against pathogens that have evolved resistance to various antibiotics and other antimicrobials, such as VRE, and MRSA. Due to their mechanisms of antimicrobial efficacy, pathogens have minimal ability to evolve antimicrobial resistance to Nimbus or Stay Fresh.