Solubilization of lecithin in antibiotic preparations by a nonionic surfactant

✍ Scribed by Frances W. Bowman; Everett W. Knoll; Miriam P. Calhoun

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1967
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 217 KB
• Volume: 56
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0022-3549
• DOI: 10.1002/jps.2600560821

✦ Synopsis

A nonionic surfactant (alkyl phenoxy polyethoxy ethanol) solubilizes antibiotic preparations containing up to 1 per cent lecithin. Toxicity studies showed that the surfactant at a concentration of 0.1 per cent (v/v) in 0.1 per cent peptone solution (w/v) permits recovery from a low inoculum of vegetative cells when membrane filtration sterility tests are performed. T h e addition of the surfactant to peptone diluting fluid makes it possible to perform membrane filtration tests o n many antibiotic preparations that otherwise could only be tested by the direct method. T h e use of surfactant-peptone diluting fluid also makes it possible t o use 300 mg. from each of 20 vials instead of 50 mg. when testing oxytetracycline, chlortetracycline, or tetracycline for sterility.