Detergent composition

Abstract

The present invention concerns a detergent comprising a deoxyribonuclease (DNase). The present invention further relates to methods and uses of the detergent comprising a deoxyribonuclease (DNase) for laundering.

Description

REFERENCE TO A SEQUENCE LISTING[0001]This application contains a Sequence Listing in computer readable form. The computer readable form is incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention concerns a detergent comprising a deoxyribonuclease (DNase). The present invention further relates to methods and uses of the detergent comprising a deoxyribonuclease (DNase) for laundering.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Microorganisms generally live attached to surfaces in many natural, industrial, and medical environments, encapsulated by extracellular substances including biopolymers and macromolecules. The resulting layer of slime encapsulated microorganism is termed a biofilm. Biofilms are the predominant mode of growth of bacteria in the natural environment, and bacteria growing in biofilms exhibit distinct physiological properties. Compared to their planktonically grown counterparts, the bacteria in a biofilm are more resistant to antibiotics, UV irradiati...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0018]Bacteria living in a biofilm usually have significantly different properties from free-floating bacteria of the same species, as the dense and protected environment of the film allows them to cooperate and interact in various ways. One benefit of this environment is increased resistance to detergents and antibiotics, as the dense extracellular matrix and the outer layer of cells protect the interior of the community.

[0024]Enzyme Detergency benefit: The term “enzyme detergency benefit” is defined herein as the advantageous effect an enzyme may add to a detergent compared to the same detergent without the enzyme. Important detergency benefits which can be provided by enzymes are stain removal with no or very little visible soils after washing and / or cleaning, prevention or reduction of redeposition of soils released in the washing process (an effect that also is termed anti-redeposition), restoring fully or partly the whiteness of textiles which originally were white but after repeated use and wash have obtained a greyish or yellowish appearance (an effect that also is termed whitening). Textile care benefits, which are not directly related to catalytic stain removal or prevention of redeposition of soils, are also important for enzyme detergency benefits. Examples of such textile care benefits are prevention or reduction of dye transfer from one fabric to another fabric or another part of the same fabric (an effect that is also termed dye transfer inhibition or anti-backstaining), removal of protruding or broken fibers from a fabric surface to decrease pilling tendencies or remove already existing pills or fuzz (an effect that also is termed anti-pilling), improvement of the fabric-softness, colour clarification of the fabric and removal of particulate soils which are trapped in the fibers of the fabric or garment. Enzymatic bleaching is a further enzyme detergency benefit where the catalytic activity generally is used to catalyze the formation of bleaching components such as hydrogen peroxide or other peroxides.

[0029]Improved wash performance: The term “improved wash performance” is defined herein as an enzyme displaying an increased wash performance in a detergent composition relative to the wash performance of same detergent composition without the enzyme e.g. by increased stain removal or less redeposition. The term “improved wash performance” includes wash performance in laundry.

Problems solved by technology

It has for many years been a known problem that laundry items like shirts and blouses become more and more grey as time goes by.

These stains usually consist of a lot of different components adhering to the textile of the clothing and can be difficult to dissolve and remove.

This soil has shown difficult to remove by commercially available detergent compositions.

Further, when very dirty laundry items are washed together with less dirty laundry items the dirt present in the wash liquor tend to stick to the biofilm.

Although the problem is well known to most garment the problem is very pronounced for mixed fabrics.

However, the saving of energy by washing at lower temperature may lead to consumers discarding clothes and buying new because the sweat stains are not properly removed.