Antibacterial Testing

Antibacterial Tests

There are many different types of antibacterial tests.  Some have been developed for certain types of materials such as fabrics or polymers while others have been developed for certain antimicrobial products.

In general, there are 2 major classifications of antibacterial tests.  They are Qualitative tests and Quantitative tests.

Qualitatives tests are tests based on visual assessment such as area of inhibition or stain.  These tests have the advantage of being easy to perform as well as easy for the general public to understand.  However, they cannot be used for all antibacterial products.

Quantitative tests have a numeric evaluation of antibacterial activity such as a percent reduction or log reduction.  They can be used for a wider range of antibacterial products.  The downside is that they tend to be more time consuming and more expensive to perform than qualitative tests.

Quantitative tests can be divided into categories on how the bacteria is applied to the material: absorption, non-porous, and shakeflask tests.

Quantitative absorption tests are often used for fabrics, sponges, and other absorbent materials.  

Quantitative non-porous tests are often used with polymers and coatings where the bacteria cannot absorb into the mateiral.  A plastic film or a agar slurry is used to ensure that the bacteria stays in place and is in contact with the material.

Quantitative shakeflask tests use a flask filled with bacteria.  The material is placed in the flask and the flask is shaken.

Types of Tests

There are many different types of tests including:

• Antibacterial Tests
• Antifungal Tests
• Antialgal Tests
• Antiodour Tests