Field of the invention
[0001] The present invention relates to compositions containing at least one prebiotic component
and a probiotic component for application on surfaces. The invention also relates
to a corresponding method for use in same.
Introduction
[0002] It is known that in some cases, traditional cleaning products and methods are not
sufficient or efficient enough. In e.g. hospitals, equipment such as furniture, floors,
patient beds and mattresses require regular and thorough cleaning to reduce the number
of pathogenic microorganisms which may affect the health of recovering patients. Furthermore,
for obvious reasons, shared facilities, such as industrial kitchens or HVAC installations,
and their components as well as industrial facilities and components, such as filters,
pumps and ducts, also need a permanent reduction and control of such pathogenic populations.
[0003] It is known that probiotics can be used in combating these harmful bacteria.
WO 2006/125283 teaches that the colonizing of surfaces with non-pathogenic spore-forming bacteria
via cleaning products has a favourable effect in reducing the number of pathogenic
microorganisms on such surfaces. This decreases the risk of infections and has a beneficial
effect on general health.
[0004] However, in view of the growing resistance of some bacterial strains against certain
cleaning products, it is important to reduce the numbers of such pathogens as much
as possible. There is therefore a need for products and methods that can reduce any
unwanted, harmful or pathogenic microorganisms on a surface to a minimum.
[0005] Such compositions furthermore should be applicable to surfaces which are hard to
treat, such as surfaces which are positioned in such a way that they are hard to reach
via conventional cleaning techniques and/or surfaces which are situated in environmental
conditions which make them hard to treat.
Summary of the invention
[0006] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a surface treatment
composition, wherein said composition comprises spores of at least one non-pathogenic
species of the genus
Bacillus and a prebiotic component.
[0007] It is an advantage of the present invention that surfaces can be substantially purified
of pathogenic micro-organisms by inoculating said surfaces with said composition.
The non-pathogenic probiotics have as an effect that nutrients on the surface become
less available for other micro-organisms through the mechanism of nutrient depletion.
It has thereby been advantageously been found that the combination of non-pathogenic
probiotics with a prebiotic component further amplifies this effect. A further advantage
is that both probiotic and prebiotic components place a lighter burden on the environment,
in comparison with other compounds used in detergents, such as alcohols etc. It is
a further advantage that said composition can be used in products for the purification
of surfaces, said products having a shelf life of at least three years.
[0008] In an embodiment of the composition according to the present invention, said at least
one non-pathogenic species of the genus
Bacillus comprises at least one of
Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus megaterium and
Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.
[0009] It is an advantage of this embodiment that each of said
Bacillus spp. are non-pathogenic microorganisms.
[0010] In an embodiment of the composition according to the present invention, said at least
one non-pathogenic species of the genus
Bacillus comprises a mixture of
Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus megaterium and
Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, each of said four
Bacillus species having a number of spores which is between 10 % and 70 %, with reference
to the total number of spores of said four
Bacillus spp.
[0011] It is an advantage of this embodiment that said
Bacillus spp. have different germination rates. As a result, said
Bacillus spp. will have a different concentration profile in time, thereby ensuring a constant
presence of a probiotic component on the surface. Furthermore, said selection results
in an optimized diversity of extracellular enzymes. It is a further advantage that
said presence of probiotic components on the surface can be guaranteed when each of
said four
Bacillus species has a number of spores which is between 10 % and 70 %, with reference to
the total number of spores of said four
Bacillus spp.
[0012] In an embodiment of the composition according to the present invention, said at least
one non-pathogenic species of the genus
Bacillus consists of a mixture of
Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus megaterium and
Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.
[0013] In an embodiment of the composition according to the present invention, said prebiotic
component comprises at least one of a fructo-oligosaccharide, a galacto-oligosaccharide
and/or inulin.
[0014] It is an advantage of this embodiment that said prebiotic sugar further amplifies
the effect of the probiotic component. More in particular, it has been found that
said prebiotic component accelerates in time the activity of the probiotic component
and that a combination of a probiotic component and a prebiotic component according
to the invention reduces even further the concentration of pathogens.
[0015] In an embodiment of the composition according to the present invention, said at least
one non-pathogenic species is present in a concentration of 1 x 10
6 to 1 x 10
10 cfu per gram composition.
[0016] It is an advantage of this embodiment that said concentration range allows both treating
surfaces by use of a detergent or cleaning product comprising said composition, as
well as treating surfaces by water dosing, wherein products for the latter typically
have an initially higher cfu concentration per gram composition due to the fact that
these products tend to be diluted upon use.
[0017] In an embodiment of the composition according to the present invention, said prebiotic
component is present in a concentration of 100 mg to 100 g per kg composition.
[0018] It is an advantage of this embodiment that said amplifying effect on the probiotic
component is thereby maximized.
[0019] In an embodiment of the composition according to the present invention, said spores
of at least one species and said prebiotic component are at least partly encapsulated
in microcapsules.
[0020] It is an advantage of this embodiment that the use of microcapsules further allows
to spread germination in time, thereby ensuring a constant presence and a persistent
activity of
Bacillus spp. on the treated surface.
[0021] In an embodiment of the composition according to the present invention, said microcapsule
comprises a brittle shell and is furthermore filled with a non-aqueous solution.
[0022] In an embodiment of the composition according to the present invention, the diameter
of the microcapsules is 1 to 300 µm.
[0023] In an embodiment of the composition according to the present invention, said composition
is formulated as a detergent, cleaning product, liquid, emulsion, cream, ointment,
lotion, gel, oil, solution, trigger spray, aerosol spray, powder, or semi-solid formulation.
[0024] It is an advantage of this embodiment that said composition can be used as part of
or formulated as the above-mentioned products, thereby increasing the field of application
of the composition. Advantageously, said products typically have a shelf life of at
least three years.
[0025] In an embodiment of the composition according to the present invention, the surface
is wood, paper or textile; the surface is an abiotic material, such as stone, metal,
plastic, glass, carbon, or ceramic; or the surface is a composite material.
[0026] It is an advantage of this embodiment that said composition can be applied on a variety
of surfaces, which are typically abiotic. However, with the exception of human or
animal skin, said composition can also be applied on some biotic materials.
[0027] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for treating
surfaces with a surface treatment composition, said method comprising the steps of
cleaning, spraying, ultrasound fogging, painting, or water dosing said surfaces with
said composition.
[0028] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cleaning product
comprising the surface treatment composition.
Brief description of the figures
[0029]
Figure 1 shows the germination speed of probiotic and synbiotic compositions as a
function of time.
Figures 2A-2C show the effect of two cleaning products on a stone tile floor.
Figure 3 shows the effect of cleaning products on the count of Staphylococcus aureus
populations.
Figures 4A-4D show the effect in time of ultrasound fogging of a synbiotic preparation
by use of probiotic counts
Detailed Description of Embodiments
[0030] The invention described herein refers to a surface treatment composition, said composition
comprising spores of at least one species of the genus
Bacillus and a prebiotic component.
[0031] A specific application of the composition according to embodiments of the invention
is a composition for the treatment of surfaces of non-living things. It is thereby
noted that the term "non-living thing" can also refer to that which used to be part
of a living thing, such as wood, rubber, paper and the like. However, the term "surface"
does not refer herein to the surface of living beings, thereby excluding human skin,
animal skin or fur and the like.
[0032] More in particular, such a surface can be a surface made of or including wood, paper,
leather, textile; the surface can be a surface made of or including an abiotic material,
such as stone, metal (and alloys thereof), plastic and other polymeric materials,
glass, ceramic materials, bricks and the like. Furthermore, said surface can be a
surface of composite material, the term "composite material" referring herein to material
made from two or more constituent materials. Said surface can further be a mixture
of the aforementioned materials.
[0033] According to embodiments, said surface can relate to a surface which is exposed to
air, or which is partially or completely submerged in water or in another liquid.
[0034] For the purpose of the invention, the term "surface treatment" refers herein to acting
on a surface with the purpose of improving or altering a condition or parameter of
said surface. A specific application of the composition according to embodiments of
the invention is for the purpose of purification of the surface, meaning the reduction
of unwanted, harmful or pathogenic microorganisms on the surface, such as bacteria,
fungi, yeasts, viruses and the like.
[0035] For this purpose, the surface treatment may comprise the act of cleaning the surface
with said composition, or by applying said composition to said surface through the
act of spraying, ultrasound fogging, painting or water dosing.
[0036] For the purpose of the invention, the term "water dosing" refers herein to the purification
of surfaces in installations and/or surfaces of components thereof by addition of
said composition to a liquid, such as a cooling liquid, a rinsing liquid or a circulating
liquid, wherein said liquid is in contact with the surface to be treated. Surfaces
of pools and ponds, as well as surfaces of industrial installations, such as the inside
surface of ducts, pumps and filters may be subject to biofilm growth and accumulation
of organic waste. Said composition may thus be added to the liquid which is in contact
with said surface.
[0037] Where appropriate, the invention will be described with reference to such applications,
without the intent to limit the scope of the invention thereto.
[0038] For the purpose of the present invention, the term "synbiotic" refers to a combination
of a probiotic and a prebiotic.
[0039] For the purpose of the present invention, the term "prebiotic" or "prebiotic component"
refers to at least one of a short-chain sugar (typically 3-9 monosaccharide units).
[0040] According to particular embodiments, the prebiotic contains one or more from the
group consisting of galacto-oligosaccharides, fructo-oligosaccharides and inulin.
[0041] According to preferred embodiments, the prebiotic is inulin.
[0042] According to preferred embodiments of the invention, the prebiotic component has
a mass fraction which is at least 0.5 mg, preferably at least 1 mg, more preferably
at least 10 mg, even more preferably at least 100 mg, and most preferably at least
1g, per kg of the composition. It will be understood that the prebiotic component
has a mass fraction which is at most 300 g, preferably at most 200 g, more preferably
at most 100 g and most preferably at most 80 g, per kg of the composition.
[0043] For the purpose of the present invention, the term "probiotic" or "probiotic component"
refers to spores of at least one non-pathogenic species of the genus
Bacillus.
[0044] According to embodiments of the invention, the probiotic component comprises a mixture
of spores of different non-pathogenic
Bacillus species (referred to as
Bacillus spp. herein after). According to preferred embodiments of the invention, said probiotic
component comprises at least one of
Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus megaterium and
Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.
[0045] Preferably, the probiotic component comprises a mixture of spores of
Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus megaterium and
Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.
[0046] Preferably, for a mixture comprising spores of
Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus megaterium and
Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, each of said four
Bacillus species has a number of spores which is at least 10%, preferably at least 15%, and
more preferably at least 20%, with reference to the total number of spores of said
four
Bacillus spp. in the mixture. It is further understood that each of said four
Bacillus species has a number of spores which is at most 70%, preferably at most 60%, more
preferably at most 60%, even more preferably at most 50%, preferably at most 40%,
more preferably at most 35%, and most preferably at most 30%, with reference to the
total number of spores of said four
Bacillus spp. in the mixture. Preferably, spores of said four species are present in substantially
or exactly equal amounts in the mixture.
[0047] According to particular embodiments of the invention, said mixture further comprises
Bacillus polymyxa.
[0048] According to particular embodiments of the invention, said mixture does not comprise
Bacillus coagulans.
[0049] According to preferred embodiments, the total amount of spores in said aforementioned
mixtures ranges from 1x10
6 to 1x10
10 per gram of the composition. Such an amount is expressed as cfu (colony-forming units).
It is thereby understood that this value refers to the total number of cfu of all
the
Bacillus spp. together.
[0050] According to particular embodiments, the probiotic component is a mixture consisting
of spores of
Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus megaterium and
Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.
[0051] The transformation of spores to vegetative cells is the result of absorption of moisture
from the surrounding surface or from the biofilm to which the preparation is applied
[
Knudsen et al. (2015) J. Bacteriol. 19;198(1): 168-77]. This moisture absorption decreases the absolute moisture content of the surface
or biofilm, thus exerting an inhibitory action on moisture availability to other microorganisms.
The vegetative
Bacillus cells produce a variety of extracellular enzymes on surfaces and in biofilm that
reduce the amount of organic nutrients on the surface and in biofilm [
Priest (1977) Bacteriol. Rev. 41(3): 711-53]. This reduction exerts an inhibitory action on the food availability to other microorganisms
via nutrient depletion and the general concept of competitive exclusion [
Ragione et al. (2003) Vet. Microbiol. 94(3): 245-56].
[0052] Treating a surface with a surface treatment composition containing a probiotic component
can affect the concentration of unwanted and potentially harmful microorganisms.
In a particularly interesting embodiment, such an effect can be further optimized
by a selection of a mixture the aforementioned four
Bacillus spp., i.e.
Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus megaterium and
Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. As these
Bacillus spp. have a different rate in germination, therefore also a different concentration distribution
over time, a constant presence of the probiotic component on the surface to be treated
is assured. Said selection will result in an even more pronounced moisture depletion
as well as an optimized diversity of extracellular enzymes.
[0053] It has now unexpectedly been found that the addition of a prebiotic component to
such a composition and the use thereof in e.g. a cleaning product affects the concentration
of pathogens on the treated surface even further. The observed effect is twofold.
Firstly, the prebiotic component accelerates in time the activity of the probiotic
component.
Secondly, the combination of a probiotic component and a prebiotic component reduces
even further the concentration of pathogens on the treated surface, resulting in a
lower concentration of pathogens on the treated surface in comparison with a similar
treatment for such a surface without the prebiotic component.
[0054] The synbiotic surface treatment composition can be used to purify a surface from
organic dirt, which may be in the form of a biofilm matrix, as well as to lower the
number of other microorganisms such bacteria, viruses, yeasts and fungi. It has been
found that the combination of prebiotics with probiotics strengthen the purifying
effect of the composition, the prebiotic component thereby seemingly supporting and
strengthening the effect of the probiotics on biofilm removal and lowering other micro-organisms.
[0055] According to embodiments of the invention, the spores of said probiotic component
and said at least one prebiotic component are at least partly encapsulated in microcapsules.
[0056] For the purpose of the invention, microcapsules are particles containing a prebiotic
and/or a probiotic. Such capsules are described in
US 20120076864. Advantageously, the composition can be encapsulated in such microcapsules to provide
the composition with longer stability/shelf life. Furthermore, after a "free" first
part of the probiotic and prebiotic components of the composition, which part was
not encapsulated in microcapsules, has already exerted its effect, said microcapsules
may provide for a delayed release of a second part of the probiotic and prebiotic
components on the surface or in biofilm. As a result thereof, a persistent activity
of the composition for up to 6 weeks can be obtained, provided that sufficient friction
is present.
If the preparation is thereby applied to a surface that suffers from friction (such
as human or animal activity (walking, touching) or mechanical activity (interaction
with machines or vehicles and the like)), the presence of the microcapsules is an
established way of ensuring that the preparation exerts a lasting action.
[0057] Consequently, it is advantageous to include such microcapsules in the composition
for the treatment of a surface where frequent treatment of the surface is not possible.
[0058] Typically, the microcapsules are composed of a brittle shell comprising a liquid
containing the spores. Said shell breaks open due to friction and releases the contents
of the capsule. The microcapsules are typically 1 to 300 µm in diameter.
[0059] According to embodiments of the invention, the shell is composed of a polymer layer,
such as a polymer of gelatin, polyurethane, polyolefins, polyamides, polyesters, polysaccharides,
silicone resins, epoxy resins, chitosan and aminoplastic resins such as a melamine
formaldehyde resin.
[0060] According to embodiments of the invention, said probiotic and prebiotic components
may be present together or separately in a microcapsule. However, said microcapsules
may also be provided containing individual bacterial strains.
[0061] According to embodiments of the invention, the liquid in the capsules is typically
non-aqueous, and more specifically is immiscible with water (e.g. an organic oil,
a silicone oil, a fluorocarbon, or mixtures thereof).
[0062] The weight ratio of the shell to the liquid contained therein is typically 1:500
to 1:5000. The outer layer of this shell can contain functional reactive groups for
chemical binding.
[0063] According to embodiments of the invention, up to 10 wt%, 20 wt%, 30 wt%, 50 wt%,
or even 75 wt% of the prebiotic and/or probiotic component may be encapsulated in
the microcapsules. Microcapsules may be dispersed in a liquid or viscous composition.
[0064] According to embodiments of the invention, the composition is processed into cleaning
products (detergents), or products for spraying, for (ultrasound) fogging, for painting
or for water dosing. Such products are typically in liquid form.
Furthermore, depending on the type of treatment and surface type in question, the
composition may be used as a component in or formulated as: a detergent, a cleaning
product, a liquid, an emulsion, a cream, an ointment, a lotion, a gel, an oil, a solution,
a trigger spray, an aerosol spray, a powder, or a semi-solid formulation.
[0065] Advantageously, said composition can be processed in a product for fogging, preferably
ultrasound fogging, and combined with a fogging device. An ultrasound fogging device
refers herein to a device that uses high-frequency sound vibrations to produce an
extra fine water mist that is then expelled to add moisture to the room. It has been
found that such an application allows surface treatment of surfaces that cannot be
reached by conventional cleaning techniques or that cannot be treated by means of
water dosing.
Surface treatment compositions for treatment by (ultrasound) fogging and methods therefore,
may be particularly interesting for the treatment of HVAC installation surfaces, especially
the surface of the inner sides of ducts. It was found that the installation of an
ultrasound fogging device in the duct of an air-conditioning installation, said device
fogging a surface treatment composition according to the invention had a beneficial
influence on the presence of harmful microorganisms.
In preferred embodiments, water droplets have an average diameter ranging from 0.5
to 10 µm. It was found that under these conditions, the composition could be maximally
distributed into an available space.
[0066] The invention further relates to a method for treating surfaces with a surface treatment
composition as described here above. Part of said composition may be encapsulated
in microcapsules. Said method further comprises the steps of cleaning (in the sense
of freeing from dirt of pollution), spraying, ultrasound fogging, painting, or water
dosing said surfaces with said composition according to practices known in the state
of the art.
[0067] The invention further relates to a cleaning product comprising the composition as
described herein.
[0068] While the invention has been described hereinabove with reference to specific embodiments,
this is done to illustrate and not to limit the invention, the scope of which is defined
by the accompanying claims. The skilled person will readily appreciate that different
combinations of features than those described herein are possible without departing
from the scope of the claimed invention.
Experimental Results
[0069] The invention will be now described in more details with reference to the following
examples, whose purpose is merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope
of the invention.
[0070] Galacto-oligosaccharides: Ergomax GOS
Fructo-oligosaccharides: Supersmart Fructo
Inulin: Beneo Orafti Inulin
Germination speeds as well as cfu count were performed by use of ISO 20391-1:2018.
Example 1 (E1) - Composition of a synbiotic preparation
[0071] The surface treatment composition has the following components, per gram of the preparation:
- 2 x 109 spores of each of the following species: Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus megaterium and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens;
- 50 mg of inulin;
- 25 mg of galacto-oligosaccharides;
- 15 mg of fructo-oligosaccharides;
- 5 mg of microcapsules.
Comparative Example 2 (CE2) - Composition of a probiotic preparation
[0072] The surface treatment composition has the following components, per gram of the preparation:
- 2 x 109 spores of each of the following species: Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus megaterium and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens;
- 5 mg of microcapsules.
Example 3 (E3) - Effect of a prebiotic component
[0073] A sample of Example 1 (E1) and a sample of Comparative Example 2 (CE2) were each
diluted in water at a 1:100 dilution ratio and then allowed to germinate. Figure 1
shows the germination speed of both samples.
[0074] From this figure, it can be concluded that germination of the probiotic component
occurs more rapidly in a synbiotic formulation. In other words, including a prebiotic
component in a product containing a probiotic component results in an increased presence
of the probiotic component in the product when evaluated at shorter periods of time.
Example 4 (E4) - Comparative Examples 5-6 (CE5-CE6) - Cleaning product
[0075] An all-purpose cleaning product was defined, having one of the following compositions,
as summarized in Table 1:
Table 1 - compositions cleaning product
Component |
E4 |
CE5 |
CE6 |
Water |
91,8 |
91,8 |
91,8 |
Sodium Laureth Sulphate |
5,5 |
5,5 |
5,5 |
Probiotic Mixture |
1 |
1 |
0 |
Phenoxyethanol |
0,45 |
0,45 |
0,45 |
Inulin |
0,5 |
0 |
0 |
Galacto-oligosaccharide |
0,25 |
0 |
0 |
Fructo-oligosaccharide |
0,15 |
0 |
0 |
CI 42051 |
0,05 |
0,05 |
0,05 |
Fragrance |
0,3 |
0,3 |
0,3 |
Ethanol |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Total weight (g) |
100 |
99,1 |
98,1 |
wherein said components of said cleaning product are expressed in weight and wherein
said Probiotic Mixture is an aqueous mixture of
Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus megaterium and
Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. Each component of said probiotic mixture is present in a concentration of 2 x 10
9 cfu per gram of the total composition, meaning that each component of said mixture
has a number of spores which is 25% with reference to the total number of spores.
Example 5 (E7) - Purification of a surface
[0076] Cleaning products according to the composition E4 and CE5 were used to clean stone
tile floors of toilets of a confined experimental space under controlled conditions.
The stone tile floors were suffering from severe organic pollution and biofilm, mainly
in the concrete joints between the tiles. A picture of a stone tile floor before the
treatment is shown in Fig. 2A.
[0077] A first of such floors was cleaned with an all-purpose cleaning product having a
composition according to CE5. A second of said stone tile floors was cleaned with
an all-purpose cleaning product having a composition according to E4, being a synbiotic
composition.
[0078] Said first and second floor were then cleaned on a daily basis for a period of three
weeks, with said cleaning product on the basis of CE5 and E4 respectively.
Fig 2B shows the result after three weeks of daily cleaning with the (probiotic) cleaning
product having a composition according to CE5. The probiotic cleaning product was
capable of removing superficial biofilm on the tiles surface and partly in the joints.
Fig. 2C shows the result after three weeks of daily cleaning with the (synbiotic)
E4 cleaning product. The synbiotic cleaning product was capable of removing much more
organic dirt and biofilm deep into the joints between the tiles, making them bright
again at most places, indicating that the addition of a prebiotic component to a probiotic
cleaning product has an unexpected invigorative effect.
Example 6 (E8) - Purification of a surface
[0079] All-purpose cleaning products according to the composition E4 (synbiotic composition),
CE5 (probiotic composition), and CE6 (forming a diluted detergent) were applied at
a daily basis to a floor in a confined experimental space under controlled conditions
for a total duration of 10 days. Microbiological samples were taken from the surface
of the floor in order to determine the presence of the hospital bacteria Staphylococcus
aureus. Such samples were taken after 1, 6, 24, 48, 72, 120 and 240 hours. As of 24
hours, the samples were taken just before product application so as to measure the
effect of the previous 24 hours of application.
[0080] The results in Figure 3 show the following:
- the application of the diluted detergent ("control" -cleaning product based on composition
CE6) does not seem to affect the level of S. aureus CFU's.
- Applying the probiotic cleaning ("probiotic" - cleaning product based on composition
CE5) results in a drop of S. aureus CFU's as of 24 hours in order to reach a minimum level (i.e. 430 cfu/m2) after 240 hours.
- Applying the synbiotic cleaning product ("synbiotic" - based on composition E4) leads
to a faster decrease of S. aureus CFU's resulting in a lower level (i.e. 220 cfu/m2) after 240 hours.
Example 7 (E9) - Ultrasound fogging of synbiotic preparation
[0081] The synbiotic preparation as described in E1 was diluted tenfold in water containing
0,1 wt% of Sodium Laureth Sulphate. The dilution was subsequently introduced in an
ultrasound fogging device. A Bionaire® BUL9500B-U Warm and Cool Mist Ultrasonic Humidifier
device, a commercially available air humidifier, was therefore used.
[0082] A fog with particles having a diameter being predominantly between 0.8µm and 10µm
was generated.
[0083] The device was placed in one corner of a 120m
3 room and sprayed every 15 minutes for 20 seconds, with an output of 1ml of synbiotic
solution per minute. Nutrient agar plates were placed on a table at the other side
of the room, with open covers. Every 15 minutes, after each fogging, one nutrient
agar plate was closed and incubated. A probiotic count was as such determined at starting
point (Fig. 4A) and after 15 (Fig. 4B), 30 (Fig. 4C) and 60 (Fig. 4D) minutes.
[0084] As illustrated by Figs. 4A-4D, a high probiotic count was measured already after
30 minutes, indicating that ultrasound fogging is a very effective distribution of
probiotics through the air.
1. A surface treatment composition, said composition comprising spores of at least one
non-pathogenic species of the genus Bacillus and a prebiotic component.
2. The surface treatment composition according to claim 1, wherein said at least one
non-pathogenic species of the genus Bacillus comprises at least one of Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus megaterium and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.
3. The surface treatment composition according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said at
least one non-pathogenic species of the genus Bacillus comprises a mixture of Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus megaterium and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, each of said four Bacillus species having a number of spores which is between 10% and 70%, with reference to
the total number of spores of said four Bacillus spp.
4. The surface treatment composition according to any one of previous claims, wherein
said at least one non-pathogenic species of the genus Bacillus consists of a mixture of Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus megaterium and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.
5. The surface treatment composition according to any one of previous claims, wherein
said prebiotic component comprises at least one of a fructo-oligosaccharide, a galacto-oligosaccharide
and/or inulin.
6. The surface treatment composition according to any one of previous claims, wherein
said at least one non-pathogenic species is present in a concentration of 1 x 106 to 1 x 1010 cfu per gram composition.
7. The surface treatment composition according to any one of previous claims, wherein
said prebiotic component is present in a concentration of 100 mg to 100 g per kg composition.
8. The surface treatment composition according to any one of previous claims, wherein
said spores of at least one species and said prebiotic component are at least partly
encapsulated in microcapsules.
9. The surface treatment composition according to claim 8, wherein said microcapsule
comprises a brittle shell and is furthermore filled with a non-aqueous solution.
10. The surface treatment composition according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the diameter
of the microcapsules is 1 to 300 µm.
11. The surface treatment composition according to any one of previous claims, wherein
said composition is formulated as a detergent, cleaning product, liquid, emulsion,
cream, ointment, lotion, gel, oil, solution, trigger spray, aerosol spray, powder,
or semi-solid formulation.
12. The surface treatment composition according to any one of previous claims, wherein
the surface is wood, paper or textile; wherein the surface is an abiotic material,
such as stone, metal, plastic, glass, carbon, or ceramic; or wherein the surface is
a composite material.
13. Method for treating surfaces with a surface treatment composition according to any
one of claims 1-12, said method comprising the steps of cleaning, spraying, ultrasound
fogging, painting, or water dosing said surfaces with said composition.
14. A cleaning product comprising the surface treatment composition according to any one
of claims 1-13.