Scientific research

A study reviewing the potential of probiotic cleaning products as a sustainable alternative to chemical disinfectants for reducing healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance in hospital environments.

Probiotic cleaning products are shown to be similarly effective as conventional chemical disinfectants in reducing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), and enveloped viruses like SARS-CoV-2 in while being biodegradable, and without requiring protection from chemical hazards. The probiotic cleaning products are also compliant with occupational health standards, making them a sustainable and safer alternative to chemical disinfectants.

Studies have demonstrated that probiotic cleaning can reduce the presence of antimicrobial resistance genes in hospital environments, potentially lowering the risk of spreading resistant pathogens. ​

While more robust data and standardization of probiotic product compositions are needed to support widespread adoption in healthcare settings,​ probiotic cleaning represents a breakthrough technology that shows positive results, and could shift the paradigm from chemical to biological control of hospital environments.

A study conducted by the University Hospital Jena and the Charité Berlin shows positive effects of probiotic cleaning in a clinical setting. The study examined how cleaning regimes influenced the quantity, diversity, and resistance of bacteria on hospital surfaces. The cleaning methods included disinfectants, detergents, and probiotics.

The results showed that probiotic sanitization displaced environmental microbiota, unlike traditional disinfectants. While the disinfectant's effect lasted only 30 minutes, probiotic cleaning resulted in higher microbiome diversity and stability. It also reduced the abundance of pathogenic organisms like Pseudomonas and Staphylococcus aureus, and significantly reduced antimicrobial resistance gene counts.

The data suggests that conventional disinfectants should be reconsidered and probiotic sanitization should be used to promote bacterial diversity and counteract dangerous pathogens. The study confirmed the value of probiotic cleaning in the fight against resistant superbugs.

The Probiotic Cleaning Hygiene System (PCHS) was put to the test and found to work well against viruses that have a protective outer layer, known as enveloped viruses, which includes the one causing COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2. This cleaning system was able to knock out almost all (99.99%) of the viruses it was tested on very quickly—between one and two hours. Even better, its virus-fighting powers seemed to stick around for up to a whole day.

Compared to the usual cleaning products and disinfectants, PCHS showed stronger and longer-lasting effects against viruses. The secret weapon in PCHS is Bacillus bacteria that churn out enzymes, which act like molecular scissors to chop up the mechanics that viruses are composed of.

Even though picking up SARS-CoV-2 usually happens more from breathing in droplets than from touching contaminated surfaces (known as fomite transmission), keeping surfaces clean is an important step. Common disinfectants can do a good job killing the SARS-CoV-2 virus on surfaces, but going overboard with regular disinfectants isn’t great for the environment and might even lead to more superbugs that can resist our drugs (antimicrobial resistance). 

Probiotic-based cleaning in hospitals has shown positive results in keeping harmful microbes down.

Emerging evidence suggests that microbial therapeutics can prevent and treat respiratory viral diseases, especially when applied directly to the airways. Our airways are full of tiny microorganisms called the microbiota. This microbiota helps keep our airways healthy by stopping pathogens (bad germs) from moving in and making sure immune systems are balanced.

When beneficial bacteria are introduced to the system, they can block the way viruses enter cells and can even deactivate the viruses. Probiotic bacteria, like the ones from the Lactobacillus family can tweak the immune response, acting as a shield against viruses, and help bring down swelling and irritation in your respiratory tract, which is where you breathe.

This evidence from in vitro research and animal models suggests that microbial therapeutic application directly into the airways can effectively impact the susceptibility to and the course of respiratory viral disease.

A study was performed using a computer to hunt for substances from Bacillus bacteria that might block an important part of the SARS-CoV-2 virus (the cause of COVID-19), specifically the main protease (MPro), an enzyme that the virus must have to reproduce and spread.

Three candidate substances were found: stigmasterol, chondrillasterol, and hexadecanoic acid. These substances can attach to the enzyme's active site (where the virus’s building blocks are normally processed) and interfere with its operation of reproducing and spreading. Among these candidates, hexadecanoic acid was discovered to be the top contender. Using simulation tools, this compound appeared to have the capability of attaching to the enzyme and potentially blocking its function, which was confirmed through additional calculations of how well it performed.

The Bacillus bacteria from which these compounds are derived also create alkaloids, steroids, fatty acids, and lipids. These ingredients have a history of battling microbes, reducing inflammation, and fighting viruses. To turn hexadecanoic acid into an actual medicine against COVID-19, scientists must perform additional experiments to confirm it's safe and effective for humans. This early study is very promising.

Biosurfactants are soap-like substances made by living organisms that can be game-changers in fighting diseases, including COVID-19. These natural soaps have germ-killing properties, can get along with our cells and immune system, and can make nanoparticles for creating new kinds of medicine, treatments, and cleaners.

Biosurfactants are extremely versatile and can be used for keeping the environment clean and managing it. They can also help control insects and other creatures that spread diseases. They enhance hygiene and prevent food from causing disease outbreaks.

Overall, biosurfactants can be a sustainable and effective way to tackle several health and environmental challenges.

The COVID-19 outbreak, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, created a rush to find new medications to fight off the illness.

Lipopeptides are molecules that can stick to and block viruses, potentially stopping them from merging with our body's cells.

In research looking at seven of these lipopeptides, one called LPD-12 turned out to be exceptional at latching onto the spike protein of the virus – the part the virus uses to grab onto and enter our cells.

LPD-12 was particularly effective at preventing the virus's ability to connect with the ACE2 receptor on human cells. The ACE2 receptor is effectively the doorway that the virus uses to enter into cells. This study shows LPD-12’s success and potential to be a new drug option by stopping the virus from getting into cells.

This study focused on how to improve cleaning and clearing of high turbidity (muddy or cloudy) drinking water to produce an end result that is safe to drink.

The review looks into how to use chemical polymers to clump together microalgae and how to get rid of a particular dye from water – Rhodamine B, which is used in many industries. It's important to remove Rhodamine B from water to prevent pollution.

This study also involves a large-scale experiment on removing nitrogen (a harmful pollutant) from pig farm waste water. They're using a specially designed wetland area that has a natural filtering effect and involves zeolite, a mineral that is "recharged" by the wetland's biology to keep working effectively.

In each case, this study aims to find sustainable, efficient ways to tackle pollutants and make our water cleaner with the help of both biological and chemical processes.

Alveolar macrophages (AM) are the security guards of our lungs, fighting off invaders like the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which can cause lung infections. If you introduce Bacillus subtilis spores into the nose, these spores can enhance our ability to knock down viral levels and prevent damage to the lungs when RSV tries to attack.

This is triggered by a specific emergency response system in the body (called TLR-MyD88 signaling). While testing in mice, scientists found that if you get rid of these lung macrophages, the situation gets worse for mice infected with RSV, showing just how crucial they are right when the infection starts.

Treating with Bacillus subtilis spores elevates protection by producing substances that create inflammation to fight infection and that specialize in killing viruses. These lung macrophages are also the top producers of a substance called interferon-alpha, which is important for defending against viruses that have RNA, like RSV.

Interestingly, these macrophages can harbor Legionella pneumophila, the nasty bug that causes Legionnaires’ disease, but they also help monitor the insides of cells to protect against bacterial invasions. Bacillus subtilis spores have also been found to tone down the symptoms of Clostridium difficile infection, which is a bacterial gut infection, in mice. This suggests that they could be used as a kind of probiotic treatment or prevention for bacterial infections.

When hospitals tried out the Probiotic Cleaning Hygiene System (PCHS), they saw a big drop in healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), which are infections people can get while receiving medical treatment. They noticed fewer infections across the board in the parts of the hospital where they treat non-surgical patients (internal medicine wards), and there were also fewer harmful microbes found that typically cause these HAIs.

A multivariable analysis into the data pointed out that having a urinary or central venous catheter ups the risk of getting an HAI. But, adding the PCHS to the mix was shown to lower the risk of these infections. 

Before the PCHS was used, they found that all the areas in the hospital they were studying kept getting contaminated, with staph bacteria being the worst offender. After they started using thePCHS, the number of bad germs on surfaces went down a lot, and those helpful probiotic bacteria from the cleanser took their place.

After a microarray analysis of the microbial genes that can resist antibiotics, researchers saw a substantial reduction in these resistance genes in the hospital when PCHS was in play, further suggesting that the PCHS may help in fighting against the harmful bugs not affected by standard drugs

A study by American Society for Microbiology looks specifically into the probiotic strain Bacillus Subtilis 3. This bacteria is helpful because it can fight against the flu virus, and it works both in test tube experiments and in live animals.

This bacteria strain makes a tiny molecule called P18, which acts as a secret weapon against the flu. Scientists have figured out how to separate this molecule, clean it up, make more of it, and find out how it works best. They tested it in a lab to make sure it wouldn’t negatively affect any healthy cells taken from a dog’s kidney, and it turns out that P18 is safe and doesn’t hurt these cells at all, even if you use it in excess.

When they tested P18 in a lab dish with the flu virus, P18 managed to stop the virus completely at certain amounts. Then, trying it with living mice, it turns out, P18 can protect the mice from getting the flu if you give it to them ahead of time, with most of the mice surviving. It was also pretty good at helping them even after they’d caught the flu, with many mice surviving in that case, too. The cool part is that P18 seems to be just as good at fighting the flu as the well-known flu medication we use, Tamiflu.

This study explored how using a cleaning product with the good bacteria of probiotics can change the community of microbes on hospital surfaces, with a special focus on the resistome. The resistome is like a library of antibiotic resistance genes that microbes can share, making them tougher to kill with antibiotics.

The cleaning product had spores from harmless Bacilli, a type of probiotic bacteria, in it. These spores were successful in stopping the growth of dangerous germs that can cause infections in hospitals. These probiotic spores were able to hatch into active bacteria on dry surfaces such as equipment and bed rails. They didn't just fend off the bad germs; they took their place without encouraging the growth of any new germs that are resistant to antibiotics. Even better, using the cleaner actually reduced the number of these resistance genes.

An important part of the study also ensured these probiotic bacteria were safe around patients in the hospital. No patients were found to have the probiotic bacteria on them in areas where the cleaner was used, showing the cleaning product is safe for use in a hospital. The results of this study are encouraging, suggesting that cleaning with these probiotic-based products show positive results for cutting down on both germs and antibiotic resistance in healthcare environments.

Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) are a major problem in hospitals and clinics. In Europe, about 5.7% of patients deal with these infections, costing the healthcare system a staggering 35.7 to 45 billion dollars every year.

A lot of these infections are spread by germs on surfaces within healthcare environments. A cleaning method that uses spores from Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus pumilus, and Bacillus megaterium—beneficial bacteria—has shown great promise. When used in healthcare settings, these spores helped drop the amount of HAI-causing germs by between 50 to 89% in just 3-4 weeks. Even better, the decrease in germs stayed consistent over time.

These probiotic bacteria don’t just reduce the number of bad germs; they also interfere with their ability to stick around. Bacillus subtilis, for example, can stop bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa from clinging to surfaces and forming layers called biofilms that are hard to eliminate.

This study demonstrates that microbial cleaning is a more effective and sustainable alternative to chemical cleaning and non-specific disinfection in healthcare facilities.