Disinfectants and their uses

Abstract

The present invention relates to a disinfectant comprising an organic acid selected from the group consisting of citric acid, lactic acid, succinic acid or mixtures thereof, a benzoate selected from the group consisting of sodium benzoate, potassium benzoate or calcium benzoate or mixtures thereof, and one or more non-ionic and / or amphoteric active agents soluble or emulsifiable or dispersible in water, the disinfectant being present in an aqueous liquid or solid composition, the one or more non-ionic surfactants being present in the aqueous liquid composition in an amount ranging from 1.1 to 3% by weight, and / or the one or more amphoteric surfactants being present in an amount ranging from 1.1 to 30% by weight, but no other surfactants other than the non-ionic and / or amphoteric surfactants, and no C1-C3-(iso)alcohols. The disinfectant has improved bactericidal, fungicidal (yeasticidal) and virucidal action, which is carried out at a very fast contact time of up to 30 seconds.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a disinfectant and its use. [Background technology]

[0002] The global viral pandemic has demonstrated the great importance of agents to reduce bacterial and viral loads, thus increasing the demand for effective disinfectants, especially as hand sanitizers, food disinfectants and surface disinfectants.

[0003] Disinfectants are chemical compositions or compounds that are usually used to disinfect surfaces, utensils, food or skin, and sterilize water. Depending mainly on the pathogens to be treated, especially bacteria (Bakterien), viruses, fungi, etc., disinfectants have bactericidal, virucidal or virus inactivating and fungicidal (fungicidal) activity. Disinfection here means the reduction of bacteria that is examined in a given test process, investigating the viable bacteria (Keime), i.e., colony forming units per gram (cfu / g), and observing the reduction of bacteria.

[0004] Disinfectants have a wide range of applications. They can be used in the clinical sector, e.g. in hospitals or medical practices, in the public sector, e.g. in swimming pools, or privately, e.g. in cosmetics or at home, and have been subject to approval processes for several years. The use of individual products may also be restricted to certain groups of people, e.g. especially qualified personnel.

[0005] The drawback of many powerful disinfectants is that they not only destroy harmful germs, but also can damage the skin or surface on which they are used.Therefore, powerful disinfectants usually contain strong oxidizing agents, which can irritate and damage mucous membranes, for example.In contrast, weak disinfectants do not damage the skin or the surface to be disinfected, but do not exert sufficient bactericidal action.Therefore, there is a constant interest in developing disinfectants that destroy germs quickly and persistently, but do not significantly damage the skin flora in the long term when used for hand disinfection.

[0006] Furthermore, particularly powerful disinfectants can have a negative impact on the environment. For example, phenols contained in many disinfectants are ecotoxic to water and destroy bacterial species important for cleaning action in water. Many disinfectants are etching, irritating to the skin and / or mucous membranes, flammable or explosive, or may release toxic chlorine gas in mixtures with other household cleaning agents. In addition, toxic and carcinogenic disinfectants that can cause allergies are also known. Therefore, there is a great interest in skin-friendly disinfectants that can be used harmlessly not only for surface disinfection, but also for hand disinfection and food disinfection, and at the same time significantly reduce the colonization of germs on the skin of the hands. It is desirable that these kill or inactivate, for example, bacteria, viruses and fungi. This can further prevent the transfer of germs from person to person.

[0007] A large number of disinfectants are known from the prior art, some of which will be mentioned here and briefly described in detail.

[0008] For example, disinfectants containing citric acid are known to adjust pH, as a chelating agent, or for demineralization.

[0009] Patent Document 1 describes a disinfectant for the medical field, in particular for use in doctors or hospitals, which contains isothiazolin-3-oxy and / or its derivatives as active ingredients. To adjust the pH to a range of about pH 4.5 to about pH 10.5, a weak organic acid, such as acetic acid, citric acid, uric acid, gluconic acid, aminosulfonic acid, isothioic acid or sulfophthalic acid, is added.

[0010] US Patent No. 5,399,933 to Salveco describes a concentrated biocide formulation derived from plants that contains plant-based and renewable compounds, which are completely biologically degradable. 0.01% to 20% of a chelating agent selected from citric acid from lemon juice, sorbic acid from rowan tree, oxalic acid from plant roots or rhizomes, and chicory extract; 0.03% to 25% of a non-ionic surfactant of the glycoside type, polyglycerol ester or sorbitan ester type, 0.03% to 25% of anionic surfactants selected from the polyethoxylated / propoxylated alkyl and / or polyol carboxylates of the polyglycoside and / or polyglycerin type, alkali metal or alkaline earth metal, and those associated with acidic chemical structures forming surfactants of the alkyl carboxylate and / or alkyl sulfate type, and having a carbon chain with 6 to 20 carbon atoms, 0.1% to 75% of at least one organic acid selected from citric acid, lactic acid, and succinic acid; A-mint, N-mint, G-eucalyptus, etc. ether oil, plant essence, plant extract, 0.001% to 8% of natural fragrance, However, benzoates or benzoic acid are not mentioned therein.

[0011] Furthermore, Patent Document 3 discloses disinfectants for disinfecting hands and surfaces in the food processing industry, which contain organic acids based on citrate and lactate and alcohols such as ethanol. These disinfectants have a bactericidal effect.

[0012] Furthermore, Patent Document 4 describes a disinfectant for disinfecting hands and skin, which has the following components (a), (b), (c) and (d) respectively relative to the entire disinfectant, but does not contain further disinfecting agents for disinfecting microorganisms. (a) 40 to 90% by weight of ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, or a mixture thereof; (b) 0.1 to 2% by weight of lactic acid; (c) 0.01 to 2% by weight of citric acid, and (d) 0.001-0.1% by weight of a zinc-containing compound that releases zinc ions in solution. However, zinc ions are disadvantageous for application to the skin because they can dry out the skin and leave deposits that are difficult to remove. Zinc-containing compounds, ethanol and isopropyl alcohol are preferably not included in the disinfectant of the present invention.

[0013] Patent Document 5 describes an aqueous-based disinfectant, which comprises: a) at least one alkylamine and / or at least one quaternary ammonium compound, and b) at least one fatty acid RCOOH and / or a salt thereof Including, R is a group having at least 7 carbon atoms; Also described is the use of disinfectants to inactivate the Hepatitis B virus. In addition to these components, the disinfectant optionally contains a short chain organic acid, such as lactic acid, glycolic acid, citric acid, malic acid, succinic acid, tartaric acid, formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid or salts thereof, to adjust the amine formulation to a preferred pH value of 9.0 to 9.5.

[0014] Furthermore, patent document 6 relates to a mixture for demineralization, cleaning and / or disinfection, which comprises an additive mixture comprising at least 25% by weight, relative to the total amount of the mixture, of citric acid and 0.1 to 75% by weight, relative to the total amount of the mixture, of malic acid and / or tartaric acid.

[0015] In addition, disinfectants containing citric acid are also used against viruses and bacteria.

[0016] For example, US Pat. No. 5,999,333 relates to the use of an aqueous disinfectant (optionally in concentrated form) containing citric acid as a virucidal, bactericidal and sporicidal active substance for inactivating Hepatitis B virus, bacterial spores and Legionella pneumophila in the disinfection of thermoreversible medical instruments and equipment and their parts, dialysis equipment and surfaces. Optionally, malic acid and / or lactic acid can be added.

[0017] Furthermore, Patent Document 8 (Patent Document 9 of Unilever NV) describes a disinfectant suitable for consumption and therefore preferably used in the production of food and beverages. This disinfectant composition comprises: (a)C 10 -C 18 Alkali metal salts of alkyl sulfates and di(C6-C 10 an anionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of alkali metal salts of alkyl)sulfosuccinates; (b) an acid selected from citric acid, phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, acetic acid, gluconic acid, lactic acid, propionic acid, malic acid, and tartaric acid; (c) a nonionic surfactant that is readily soluble in water and includes a polyethoxylated sorbitan ester; In addition, benzoic acid or sodium benzoate can be added if necessary. The disinfectant of the present invention is intended only for external use, in contrast to US Pat. No. 5,999,633. The use of benzoic acid / sodium benzoate is merely optional and therefore rather separate from the present invention. Furthermore, anionic surfactants are not present in the disinfectant according to the present invention. Furthermore, the use of alcohol, such as isopropanol or ethanol, as a solvent, as described in US Pat. No. 5,999,633, is not desirable in the disinfectant according to the present invention.

[0018] Additionally, compositions containing benzoates as preservatives are also known.

[0019] For example, Patent Document 10 describes a solubilizer of a preservative for better protecting food, especially beverages, against microbial attack. The anhydrous solubilizer of a preservative comprises sorbic acid and / or benzoic acid and one or more emulsifiers, especially polysorbates, having an HLB value of 9 to 16. It is described that only the undissociated acids should exert a bactericidal effect.

[0020] The following publications describe antimicrobially active compositions which may include citric acid and benzoates.

[0021] Non-Patent Document 1 provides a skin care product in the form of a stick or an aqueous solution. The composition contains, among others, sodium benzoate, citric acid, polysorbate 80, aromatic citric acid and chlorhexidine digluconate. The composition has an antibacterial effect based in particular on chlorhexidine digluconate. However, the disinfectant of the present invention does not contain chlorhexidine digluconate.

[0022] Patent Document 11 discloses a wet wipe containing a cleaning composition, which a preservative enhancer comprising about 0.12% to about 1.0% by weight of sorbitan caprylate; A preservative containing benzoic acid or its salt, Citric acid-citric acid buffer system or citric acid, Including, The cleaning composition comprises at least 97.1% by weight of water, the preservative and preservative booster comprise about 0.24% to about 1.12% by weight of the cleaning composition, the cleaning composition has a pH value of less than 5, and the weight ratio of the preservative to the preservative booster in the cleaning composition is about 1:0.5 to about 1:5. The cleaning composition can have nonionic and amphoteric surfactants as further components. However, the disinfectant of the present invention does not include sorbitan caprylate.

[0023] Furthermore, Patent Document 12 describes a liquid cleaning composition, which comprises: Cleaning ingredients, Antibacterial and The antibacterial system comprises: An antibacterial agent; and an antibacterial enhancer selected from organic acids, particularly citric acid, acetic acid, lactic acid, glycolic acid, formic acid, butyric acid, propionic acid, valeric acid, malic acid, oxalic acid, carbonic acid, taurine, and the like, and combinations thereof; The weight ratio of the antibacterial agent to the antibacterial enhancer is about 0.30:1 or more and 0.65:1 or less. The antibacterial agent is phenoxyethanol, which is considered as an essential component for the antibacterial effect according to the examples. Nonionic surfactants are also listed as possible components. Preservatives mentioned as examples are, inter alia, sodium benzoate. However, phenoxyethanol is not present in the disinfectant of the present invention.

[0024] Furthermore, Patent Document 13 relates to an aqueous liquid composition having a topical antibacterial effect, which comprises: a) 0.001 to 1% by weight of a surfactant; b) at least one carboxylic acid or salt thereof, such as citric acid or lactic acid; The aqueous liquid composition has a pH of about 4.7 or less. Benzoates, specifically sodium benzoate, are described as preservatives. Preservatives should preferably be present in amounts up to about 1.5% by weight, although in this example only up to 0.2% by weight of sodium benzoate is used. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0025] [Patent Document 1] DE 3702546 A1 [Patent Document 2] European Patent No. 2677867 [Patent Document 3] JP 2002-253188 A [Patent Document 4] European Patent Application Publication No. 2135507 [Patent Document 5] DE 10223934 A1 [Patent Document 6] DE 102007045210 [Patent Document 7] DE 4200066 A1 [Patent Document 8] International Publication No. 96 / 097761 Brochure [Patent Document 9] European Patent No. 078324 [Patent Document 10] DE 102006010809 [Patent Document 11] US Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0120928 [Patent Document 12] International Publication No. 2018 / 022016 Brochure [Patent Document 13] International Publication No. 2020 / 165566 Brochure [Non-patent literature]

[0026] [Non-Patent Document 1] MEDOFFICE: Med-Cover Lemon Glycerin Swab Stick, 6, Material Safety Data Sheet, Izmir, Türkiye, 2018 Summary of the Invention

[0027] The present invention aims to provide an improved disinfectant that significantly reduces the microbial load caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc. and is also suitable for hand disinfection, food disinfection, and surface disinfection. Furthermore, the disinfectant should be as gentle as possible to the skin, contain environmentally compatible ingredients, and should not contain strong oxidizing agents, such as chlorine, hydrogen peroxide, or C1-C3-(iso)alcohols. Furthermore, it should have a broad spectrum of bactericidal action, while at the same time having a fast-acting disinfecting action. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] This object is achieved according to the invention by means of the features of the independent claims. The dependent claims indicate preferred embodiments of the invention.

[0029] In particular, a disinfectant is provided, an organic acid selected from the group consisting of citric acid, lactic acid, succinic acid, or a mixture thereof; a benzoate selected from the group consisting of sodium benzoate, potassium benzoate, or calcium benzoate, or mixtures thereof; one or more surfactants selected from the group consisting of nonionic surfactants and / or amphoteric surfactants that are soluble, emulsifiable or dispersible in water; Including, The disinfectant is present in an aqueous liquid composition or a solid composition, The aqueous liquid composition of the disinfectant contains the one or more nonionic surfactants in an amount ranging from 1.1 to 3% by weight, and / or the one or more amphoteric surfactants in an amount ranging from 1.1 to 30% by weight, However, other than the nonionic and amphoteric surfactants, no other surfactants are present, in particular no anionic or cationic surfactants.Furthermore, there should be no C1-C3-(iso)alcohols, and the compounds chlorhexidine digluconate, sorbitan caprylate and phenoxyethanol are not included.

[0030] By C1-C3-(iso)alcohols is understood methanol, ethanol, N-propanol and isopropanol.

[0031] Surprisingly, it has been found that the combination of citric acid, lactic acid and / or succinic acid, benzoate and water-soluble or water-dispersible surfactants, nonionic surfactants and / or amphoteric surfactants is particularly beneficial for use in hand disinfectants, food disinfectants and surface disinfectants, and significantly improves the disinfecting effect. Experiments have shown that when this combination is present, not only is a particularly high effectiveness of the disinfectant obtained, but this action also occurs in an unexpectedly short time. This is very important to prevent the risk of high bacterial loads and possibly high viral loads as quickly as possible. Thus, the reduction of bacteria to a bacterial content below the detection limit is achieved within 30 seconds, which can be verified both in the usual laboratory tests EN1650 / EN13624, EN1275, EN1276 / EN13727 and EN14476 and also in the use test according to EN1500 / EN1499.

[0032] The disinfectant may be present as an aqueous liquid composition or as a solid composition, especially in the form of a concentrate. For example, the disinfectant may be a solution, emulsion, lotion, spray, gel, foam, or may be a solid. Solid should be understood as broadly as possible and includes, for example, powders, granules and starches, as well as solid-liquid mixtures with a high proportion of solids, for example more than 60% by weight, more than 70% by weight or more than 75% by weight, i.e. solid-liquid mixtures that are not flowable, such as pastes. The solid composition used is preferably a concentrate that is water-soluble or emulsifiable or dispersible in water. The water used is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, distilled water, demineralized water, drinking water, tap water, etc.

[0033] Generally, the disinfectant in the solid composition is diluted with water as a concentrate for each use to obtain an aqueous liquid composition. According to the present invention, in the aqueous liquid composition, one or more nonionic surfactants are present in an amount of 1.1-3 wt. % and / or one or more amphoteric surfactants are present in an amount of 1.1-30 wt. %. These ranges have been found to be particularly advantageous for the effectiveness of the disinfectant.

[0034] Below, the individual components of the disinfectant according to the invention are described in detail.

[0035] The disinfectant of the present invention uses an organic acid selected from citric acid, lactic acid and / or succinic acid.

[0036] In the disinfectant of the present invention, for example, citric acid is used as organic acid. Citric acid is a colorless, odorless solid, and very easily dissolves in water. It is a tricarboxylic acid with a hydroxyl group at the 3rd position of the carbon skeleton, and therefore also a hydroxycarboxylic acid, belonging to the so-called fruit acids. Citric acid and its salts are used, for example, in food preservation and as food acidifiers or acid regulators. It is also often used in lime-dissolving cleaners.

[0037] The disinfectant of the present invention can use lactic acid as an additional or alternative organic acid. Lactic acid is a hydroxycarboxylic acid and is completely miscible with water. It is optically active and may be D- or L-lactic acid or a mixture of both isomers, such as racemic (1:1 mixture of both isomers), depending on the preparation. Lactic acid is used, for example, in cosmetics, skin creams and other products to treat acne.

[0038] An additional or alternative organic acid that can be used in the disinfectant according to the present invention is succinic acid. Succinic acid is an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid that exists in the form of a colorless, odorless, crystalline solid. It is water-soluble and is used, for example, as a food additive.

[0039] A mixture of two or all three organic acids selected from citric acid, lactic acid and succinic acid may also be used.

[0040] When the disinfectant is in the form of a solid composition, in particular in the form of a concentrate, the one or more organic acids are preferably present in an amount selected from 5-85% by weight, 10-85% by weight, 15-80% by weight, 20-85% by weight, 25-85% by weight, preferably 30-85% by weight, depending on the application.

[0041] When the disinfectant is present in the form of an aqueous liquid composition, the one or more organic acids are preferably present in an amount selected from 0.1 to 15% by weight, or 0.15 to 14% by weight, or 0.2 to 13% by weight, preferably 0.5 to 12% by weight, depending on the application.

[0042] Another necessary component of the disinfectant according to the present invention is a benzoate selected from sodium benzoate, potassium benzoate or calcium benzoate, or mixtures thereof.

[0043] Benzoic acid is a known aromatic carboxylic acid consisting of a phenyl group bearing a carboxy group. The salts of benzoic acid are called benzoates. Benzoic acid is a colorless solid with a characteristic odor that is poorly soluble in water (3.4 g / L at 20°C). In contrast, the salts are readily soluble in water. Salts of sodium benzoate (E211), potassium benzoate (E212) or calcium benzoate (E213) are used as preservatives. Due to their preservative properties, they are used, for example, in the food industry and in cosmetics.

[0044] It has been found that the disinfecting action of benzoic acid is especially effective when the acid is completely in solution. For this reason, salts of benzoic acid, which dissolve easily in water, are used. They have never been used as germicides in hand sanitizers, since their action as a preservative is rather mild.

[0045] In said disinfectant in the form of a solid composition, the amount of benzoate is preferably chosen from 1.5 to 30% by weight, 2.0 to 29% by weight, 3.0 to 28% by weight, or 4.0 to 27% by weight, preferably 5.0 to 26.0% by weight, depending on the application.

[0046] In the disinfectant in the form of an aqueous liquid composition, the amount of benzoate is preferably selected from 0.1 to 5.0% by weight, 0.15 to 5.0% by weight, or 0.2 to 4.5% by weight, preferably 0.25 to 3.5% by weight, depending on the application.

[0047] The third necessary component of the disinfectant according to the present invention is one or more surfactants, which consist of one or more nonionic surfactants and / or one or more nonionic amphoteric surfactants, and also include mixtures of nonionic and amphoteric surfactants, each of which is soluble or emulsifiable or dispersible in water. Thus, according to the present invention, one or more nonionic surfactants may be present, otherwise no other surfactants are present. Alternatively, one or more amphoteric surfactants may be present, otherwise no other surfactants are present. A combination of one or more nonionic surfactants and one or more amphoteric surfactants may be present, otherwise no other surfactants are present, such as anionic surfactants or cationic surfactants.

[0048] "Nonionic surfactant" refers to a surface-active substance that does not have a dissociable functional group and therefore does not form ions in an aqueous solution. They have polar and non-polar molecular parts, but do not have an electric charge and are therefore neutral. The nonionic surfactants used in the present invention are water-soluble. Here, "water-soluble" means that the nonionic surfactant dissolves in water, resulting in a clear solution. However, emulsions can also be produced in which the nonionic surfactant is present in a stable emulsified or dispersed form in water, i.e., the nonionic surfactant is miscible with water. The solubility of the nonionic surfactant in water can be determined based on the HLB value (Hydrophil-Lipophil-Balance). The HLB value indicates the mass ratio of the polar part to the non-polar part in the nonionic surfactant by the following formula: HLB=20*(M hydrophil / M total ) In the formula, M hydrophilis the molar mass of the hydrophilic component of the nonionic surfactant, and M is the molar mass of the entire molecule. The factor 20 is a scaling factor. An HLB value of 1 corresponds to a lipophilic compound, and a compound with an HLB value of 20 has a high hydrophilic fraction. The HLB value of the nonionic surfactant used according to the invention is preferably ≧7, which includes not only clear solutions but also (stable) emulsions. The HLB value of the nonionic surfactant used according to the invention may be ≧12 or ≧13.

[0049] Non-ionic surfactants have the advantage that they are soluble or emulsifiable or dispersible in water and have a high HLB value, thus providing good wetting of hydrophilic surfaces, which can be expected to improve the disinfecting action.

[0050] Instead of HLB value, the cloud point of nonionic surfactants can also be used.From a certain temperature, nonionic surfactants are no longer soluble in water and then form a surfactant-rich phase, which is indicated by the turbidity of the solution.This temperature is also called "cloud point" and can therefore be used to characterize water-soluble nonionic surfactants.The higher the HLB value, the higher this cloud point is.The nonionic surfactants used according to the present invention therefore preferably have a cloud point in water of 40°C or higher.

[0051] Nonionic surfactants include, for example, fatty alcohol alkoxylates, such as polyalkylene glycol ethers (fatty alcohol ethoxylates), nonylphenol ethoxylates, fatty alcohol propoxylates, fatty amine alkoxylates, such as fatty amine ethoxylates, fatty acid ethoxylates, fatty acid polyglycol esters, fatty acid polyglycolamides, polyglycerol esters, polyoxyethylene glycol alkylphenol esters, octylphenol ethoxylates (Octoxynol-9 or Triton X-100), alkanolamides, glycerol alkyl esters or carbohydrates (glucosides or glycosides, the terminology is not used consistently in the prior art), such as alkyl glucosides, alkyl polyglucosides or alkyl polyglycosides, preferably C8-C9 10 They are selected from alkyl polyglucosides or glycosides, methyl glucoside esters, ethyl glucoside esters, N-methyl glucamides, sucrose esters, either alone or in mixtures thereof.

[0052] Preferred non-ionic surfactants are fatty alcohol alkoxylates and sugar surfactants, such as alkyl polyglucosides or alkyl polyglycosides (APGs), either alone or in mixtures thereof.

[0053] The preferred fatty alcohol alkoxylates according to the present invention are polyalkylene glycol ethers, also called fatty alcohol polyglycol ethers or fatty alcohol ethoxylates.These are non-ionic surfactants, whose lipophilic part consists of the alcohol derived from fatty alcohol, especially lauric acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid or oleic acid, and whose hydrophilic part consists of short-chain polyethylene glycol or polyoxyethylene.Exemplary known trade names of polyalkylene glycol ethers include Brij®, Genapol® and Lutensol®.Polyalkylene glycol ethers as non-ionic surfactants are widely used in body care products.

[0054] The polyalkylene glycol ethers preferably used are polyoxyethylene ethers of lauryl alcohol, such as laureth-4, laureth-6, laureth-9 or laureth-23, polyoxyethylene ethers of cetyl alcohol, such as ceteth-10 or ceteth-20, polyoxyethylene ethers of cetylstearyl alcohol, such as ceteareth-20 or ceteareth-25, polyoxyethylene ethers of stearyl alcohol, such as steareth-10 or steareth-20, polyoxyethylene ethers of oleyl alcohol, such as oleth-10 or oleth-20, or C9-11 Pareth-8 (fatty alcohol ethoxylates with 8 EO (ethylene oxide units), e.g. Genapol® UD88).

[0055] Particularly preferred polyalkylene glycol ethers are polyoxyethylene ethers of lauryl alcohol, such as laureth-4 (fatty alcohol ethoxylate with 4 EO), laureth-6 (fatty alcohol ethoxylate with 6 EO), laureth-9 (fatty alcohol ethoxylate with 9 EO) or laureth-23 (fatty alcohol ethoxylate with 23 EO), and / or non-ionic surfactants from the Genapol® series of products (polyalkylene glycol ethers).

[0056] The preferred alkyl polyglucosides or alkyl polyglycosides are C8-C 10 (Octyl-Decyl-) Polyglucoside or Polyglycoside and C 16 / C 18 Cocopolyglucosides or cocoglycosides having a C chain up to

[0057] The non-ionic surfactants selected from sugar surfactants consist of a polar water-soluble molecular part and a non-polar fat-soluble molecular part. These can be ethers, esters, amines or amides depending on the chemical bond between the sugar and the alkyl group. The HLB value of the sugar surfactant depends on the degree of polymerization of the sugar as a polar group and on the number and length of the alkyl chains. Sugar surfactants are environmentally compatible and generally show good skin compatibility. Preferred sugar surfactants used in the disinfectants of the present invention are alkyl glucosides, such as polysorbate 20 (Tween 20), which always has an HLB value >10, alkyl polyglucosides or alkyl polyglycosides (APG), such as Plantacare® (e.g. Plantacare® 810UP, which is a C8-C 10 Sugar surfactants are based on alkyl polyglucosides or glycosides) or sorbitan esters, for example sorbitan monolaurate, which has an HLB value of 8.6. Sugar surfactants are used in the cosmetics industry, for example as ingredients of shampoos, hair rinses, bath additives or skin cleansers.

[0058] Particularly preferred sugar surfactants are polysorbates, alkyl glucosides such as alkyl polyglucosides or alkyl polyglycosides (APG), caprylyl / capryl glucosides or glycosides such as Plantacare®, or sorbitan esters, especially sorbitan monolaurate, each alone or in mixtures thereof.

[0059] It may be advantageous not to use polysorbate, especially polysorbate 80, as the non-ionic surfactant.

[0060] According to the invention, particularly preferred nonionic surfactants are therefore polyalkylene glycol ethers, selected from the group consisting of polyoxyethylene ethers of lauryl alcohol, such as laureth-4, laureth-6, laureth-9 or laureth-23, polyoxyethylene ethers of cetyl alcohol, such as ceteth-10 or ceteth-20, polyoxyethylene ethers of cetylstearyl alcohol, such as ceteareth-20, ceteareth-25, polyoxyethylene ethers of stearyl alcohol, such as steareth-10 or steareth-20, or polyoxyethylene ethers of oleyl alcohol, such as oleth-10 or oleth-20, alone or in mixtures thereof, and alkyl polyglucosides or alkyl polyglycosides (APG), in particular C8-C 10 Alkyl polyglucosides or glycosides, such as Plantacare® (e.g. Plantacare® 810UP: C8-C 10 Caprylyl / capryl glucosides or glycosides such as C9-11 Pareth 8 (polyalkylene glycol ether, especially fatty alkoxyethoxylate with 8EO), where "Pareth-" represents a PEG ether of an alkanol (alkyl alcohol), the preceding numbers "Cx-y" indicate the length of the alkyl (carbon) chain, and the number after "Pareth" is the average number of molecular units -CH2-CH2-O- (for example) such as Genapol® UD88, or sorbitan esters such as sorbitan monolaurate.

[0061] Very particularly preferred nonionic surfactants are the particularly clear water-soluble polyoxyethylene ethers of lauryl alcohol, C9-C 11 Pareth-8, alkyl polyglucosides or glycosides, especially C8-C 10 It is an alkyl polyglucoside or glycoside or a sorbitan ester.

[0062] The advantage of non-ionic surfactants is that they are generally well tolerated by humans and are non-irritating.

[0063] It should be noted that a "glucoside" is essentially an organic compound in which an alcohol is bound to glucose via a glycosidic bond. A "glycoside" is an organic compound in which an alcohol is bound to a sugar via a glycosidic bond. Glucosides are also a subgroup of glycosides. However, these terms are not used consistently in the prior art, as glucoside is often used to refer to glycosides. In the present invention, the terms are used interchangeably, such that glucoside also includes glycosides and vice versa.

[0064] In the disinfectant in the form of a solid composition, the amount of one or more non-ionic surfactants is preferably selected from 1.1 to 30% by weight, 1.5 to 25% by weight, 2.0 to 24% by weight, 5 to 23% by weight, or 7.5 to 22% by weight, depending on the application.

[0065] When the disinfectant is present in the form of an aqueous liquid composition, the one or more nonionic surfactants are preferably selected from 1.1 to 3.0% by weight, 1.1 to 2.9% by weight, 1.1 to 2.8% by weight, 1.1 to 2.7% by weight, 1.1 to 2.6% by weight, 1.1 to 2.5% by weight, 1.1 to 2.4% by weight, 1.1 to 2.3% by weight, 1.1 to 2.2% by weight, 1.1 to 2.1% by weight, 1.1 to 2.0% by weight, 1.1 to 1.9% by weight, 1.1 to 1.8% by weight, 1.1 to 1.7% by weight, 1.1 to 1.6% by weight, or 1.1 to 1.5% by weight, depending on the application, and the lower limit of the particular range may be 1.15% by weight, 1.2% by weight, 1.25% by weight, 1.3% by weight, 1.35% by weight, or 1.4% by weight.

[0066] As an alternative or in addition to the nonionic surfactant, one or more amphoteric surfactants can also be used. "Amphoteric" or zwitterionic surfactants are surface-active substances that contain both negatively and positively charged functional groups. They are polar compounds that are often solid and very soluble in water. They may be mixed with nonionic surfactants as co-surfactants or used alone. Amphoteric surfactants are used, for example, in handwash detergents, shampoos and other cosmetic products.

[0067] According to the invention, the one or more amphoteric surfactants are in particular betaines, such as alkyl- and alkylamidopropyl betaines, in particular sultaines, such as cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine, in particular C 12 -C 14 The amine oxides are selected from the group consisting of amine oxides such as alkyl amine oxides, alkyl amphoacetates and alkyl amphodiacetates. Amine oxides are preferred, and are selected from the group consisting of C amine oxides such as the commercially available product Ammonyx LO. 12 -C 14 Amine oxides are particularly preferred.

[0068] Some amphoteric surfactants show charge shift depending on pH. Thus, amphoteric surfactants show charge shift to positive range at acidic pH value. In this case, surfactants behave similarly to cationic surfactants. In the case of alkaline pH value, charge shift to negative range occurs, so that surfactants behave similarly to anionic surfactants. For the sake of clarity, it is pointed out here that anionic surfactants and cationic surfactants should not generally be present in the disinfectant of the present invention, and are not amphoteric surfactants, i.e., surfactants that do not show charge shift at different pH values.

[0069] Thus, according to one embodiment, the disinfectant may comprise only non-ionic surfactants and no other surfactants, in particular no amphoteric, cationic or anionic surfactants.

[0070] According to further embodiments, the disinfectant may comprise a non-ionic surfactant and / or an amine oxide, and is free of further surfactants, in particular further amphoteric surfactants and cationic or anionic surfactants.

[0071] According to a further embodiment, the disinfectant comprises only amine oxides and no further amphoteric surfactants, in particular no nonionic, cationic or anionic surfactants.

[0072] In the disinfectant in the form of a solid composition, the amount of one or more amphoteric surfactants is preferably in the range of 1.1 to 30% by weight, 1.5 to 25% by weight, 2.0 to 24% by weight, 5 to 23% by weight or 7.5 to 22% by weight, depending on the application.

[0073] When the disinfectant is present in the form of an aqueous liquid composition, the amount of one or more amphoteric surfactants is preferably 1.1 to 30% by weight, 1.5 to 25% by weight, 2.0 to 24% by weight, 5 to 23% by weight, or 7.5 to 22% by weight, depending on the application.

[0074] It has now been found that selected organic acid / benzoate / nonionic surfactant and / or amphoteric surfactant combinations provide a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity. Particularly high effectiveness against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria is observed. Gram staining serves for differential staining of bacteria for microscopic examination. Depending on the structure of the cell wall, bacteria can be divided into two groups. Gram-positive bacteria appear blue in the corresponding staining reaction under the microscope and include, for example, bacterial strains such as Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and aerobic spore-forming bacteria such as Bacillus. Gram-negative bacteria appear red under the microscope and include, for example, bacterial strains such as Escherichia coli, Helicobacter pylori, Enterobacter gergoviae, and Spirillum voltans.

[0075] A good efficacy of the disinfectant was observed especially against the typical environmental bacteria Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and / or Pullulibacter gergoviae.

[0076] Use experiments have confirmed that in addition to the bactericidal and fungicidal action, the disinfectant also acts against fungi and yeasts, such as Candida albicans and well-known molds such as Aspergillus braziliensis.

[0077] The disinfectant composition according to the invention is characterised in particular by its bactericidal, fungicidal (yeasticidal) and virucidal activity.

[0078] According to one aspect of the present invention, the synergistic effect of the combination of citric acid, lactic acid and / or succinic acid / benzoate / nonionic and / or amphoteric surfactant is assumed.In the case of a combination of components, synergistic effect exists when the combined effect is not lost by the sum of the individual effects, and the total effect on disinfection exceeds the effect of each individual natural component.This can be done and proven by comparing and contrasting the effects of the components.For example, this effect is considered as synergistic effect when the combined effect of the three components is better than the effect that the composition can achieve alone.

[0079] Tests have shown that organic acids selected from citric acid, lactic acid and / or succinic acid exhibit a synergistic disinfecting effect together with one or more benzoates and one or more nonionic and / or amphoteric surfactants. This is even more surprising because, from a microbiological point of view, benzoates (preservatives) and surfactants are slow to act at pH<5. The disinfectant composition according to the invention provides a remarkably fast disinfecting effect, which is reflected in the unusually fast exposure time of the disinfectant. The tests carried out demonstrate that a contact time of 30 seconds is already sufficient for the disinfectant to fully exert its disinfection inhibitory action. This is an unexpectedly fast contact time. At the same time, at this very short contact time, the microbial load is extremely reduced, so that the bacteria, fungi, yeasts and possibly even viruses present are almost completely killed. Furthermore, a long-lasting efficacy is also obtained. The process of measuring the quantitative microbial load and contact time for the disinfectant according to the invention is described in detail in the test.

[0080] Furthermore, it has been found to be useful and particularly advantageous if, in addition to the nonionic and / or amphoteric surfactants, no further surfactants are present. In particular, the disinfectant according to the invention does not contain anionic and cationic surfactants.

[0081] Water is used as the solvent for the disinfectant.When the disinfectant is used in the cosmetic field, for example for hand disinfection, for the production of cosmetic products, preferably purified sterilized water is used.This can be distilled water or sterilized water by desalting with ion exchanger or reverse osmosis.Drinking water can also be used, or tap water can be used for specific applications.

[0082] The disinfectant of the present invention may be present, as already explained, for example in the form of a solution, emulsion, spray, lotion, gel or foam, or in the form of a solid. For example, the disinfectant of the present invention is present as a water-containing liquid formulation. It is preferred that alcohol or alcohol mixtures are not advantageously used as a solvent in the disinfectant of the present invention. It is therefore preferred that no alcohol is used in the disinfectant, in particular none of the solvents ethanol, methanol, isopropanol or N-propanol. It is preferred that the disinfectant of the present invention contains only water as a solvent.

[0083] The disinfectant according to the invention can also be present as a concentrate in solid form, which can only be dissolved in water at the time of use. The concentrate is then diluted with water to prepare a dilution suitable for the use case. An exemplary dilution is a 3.68% to 50% solution. Other dilutions are possible. In general, the dilution is selected so that the disinfectant has a content of nonionic surfactants in the range of 1.1 to 3.0% by weight and / or a content of amphoteric surfactants in the range of 1.1 to 30.0% by weight in the aqueous liquid composition. As a result, the effectiveness of the liquid disinfectant is particularly high.

[0084] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the disinfectant of the present invention may further comprise ginger macerate, which can further enhance the disinfecting performance. Ginger macerate is a water extract, particularly a cold water extract, of ginger, which dissolves the ginger contents. The macerate is preferably used in the disinfectant of the present invention in an amount of 0-2% by weight, particularly preferably 0-0.5% by weight. The amount depends on the intended use. In particular, the components 6-gingerol and shogaol of ginger show antibacterial effects, which are described, for example, by Ruchi Badoni Semwal, Deepak Kumar Semwal, Sandra Combrinck and Alvaro M. Viljoen in Phytochemistry, Vol. 117 (September 2015, pp 554-568).

[0085] Instead of ginger macerate, ginger components in the form of gingerols and shogaols, preferably 6-gingerol, can also be added to the disinfectant in suitable amounts.

[0086] According to another aspect of the present invention, the disinfectant according to the present invention may contain conventional additives known to those skilled in the art. Examples thereof are, but are not limited to, fragrances, such as one or more essential oils, preferably selected from the group of lavender oil and / or peppermint oil, and / or one or more solubilizers, such as polyglyceryl-10-laurate, for example, to solubilize essential oils. Additives can contribute to enhancing the effectiveness of the disinfectant.

[0087] The additives exemplified above can be selected by a person skilled in the art in consideration of the complete compatibility with the organic acid / benzoate / nonionic surfactant and / or amphoteric surfactant combination that is the component of the disinfectant, and can be added in an appropriate and sufficient amount if desired. For example, one or more ether oils are used in an amount of 0-2% by weight, preferably 0-0.1% by weight. When one or more solubilizers are used, they are used in an amount of, for example, 0-10% by weight.

[0088] Furthermore, one or more agents for regulating the moisture of the skin, also called "moisturizers", can be used, such as glycols having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, such as butylene glycol, hexylene glycol, caprylyl glycol (1,2-octanediol) (trade name Dermosoft® Octiol), capricglykol or 1.2 hexanediol (trade name Hydrolite 6), glycine or glycerol. One or more moisture regulators are used, for example, in the range of 0 to 10% by weight. A preferred range is 0.1 to 10% by weight, and particularly preferred is the use of glycols having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, such as butylene glycol, hexylene glycol, caprylyl glycol (1,2-octanediol) (trade name Dermosoft® Octiol), capricglykol or 1.2 hexanediol (trade name Hydrolite 6). According to one embodiment, the amount of each glycol in the liquid composition is in the range of 0.1 to 2.0% by weight, and more preferably in the range of 0.5 to 1.5% by weight. For example, when hexylene glycol and caprylyl glycol are present as wettability regulators in the liquid disinfectant, it is preferred that hexylene glycol is in the range of 0.1 to 2.0% by weight, and more preferably in the range of 0.5 to 1.5% by weight, and caprylyl glycol is in the range of 0.1 to 2.0% by weight, and more preferably in the range of 0.5 to 1.5% by weight.

[0089] It has been found that a skin moisturizing agent can further significantly aid the disinfecting action. In particular, it has been found that in the presence of fungicidal bacteria such as Candida albicans and Aspergillus braziliensis, the effectiveness of the disinfectant of the present invention can be significantly improved by the presence of one or more moisturizing agents.

[0090] Therefore, according to a preferred embodiment, when one or more nonionic surfactants are present in the disinfectant of the present invention, one or more humidity regulators are also present at the same time, which provides an advantageous improvement in the efficacy of the disinfectant.

[0091] If one or more amphoteric surfactants are the only surfactants present in the disinfectant, the humidity control agent may be omitted.

[0092] Preferably, in addition to the active substances, the organic acids, benzoates and nonionic surfactants and / or amphoteric surfactants contain no further active substances and only excipients or additives, preferably comprising or consisting of one or more fragrances, one or more solubilizers, one or more monovalent salts and one or more skin moisturizing regulating agents.

[0093] The disinfectant of the present invention present in the solid composition comprises 5 to 85% by weight, 10 to 85% by weight, 15 to 85% by weight, 20 to 85% by weight, 25 to 85% by weight, or 30 to 85% by weight of an organic acid; 1.5 to 30 wt%, 2.0 to 29 wt%, 3.0 to 28 wt%, 4.0 to 27 wt%, or 5.0 to 26.0 wt% of benzoate; 1.1 to 30% by weight, 1.5 to 25% by weight, 2.0 to 24% by weight, 5 to 23% by weight, or 7.5 to 22% by weight of a nonionic surfactant and / or 1.1 to 30% by weight, 1.5 to 25% by weight, 2.0 to 24% by weight, 5 to 23% by weight, or 7.5 to 22% by weight of an amphoteric surfactant, 0 to 2.0% by weight of ginger macerate or 6-gingerol, 0.1 to 10.0 wt. % of one or more humidity control agents, 0 to 2.0% by weight of one or more fragrances, 0 to 25.0% by weight of a monovalent salt, in particular selected from NaCl, KCl and / or LiCl, and 0-10% by weight of a solubilizer; It comprises or consists of:

[0094] According to one embodiment, a liquid disinfectant is provided, the liquid disinfectant comprising: 0.1 to 15% by weight, preferably 0.5 to 12% by weight, of an organic acid, 0.1 to 5.0 wt.%, 0.15 to 5.0 wt.%, or 0.2 to 4.5 wt.%, preferably 0.25 to 3.5 wt.%, of benzoate; 1.1 to 3.0% by weight or 1.1 to 2.9% by weight or 1.1 to 2.8% by weight or 1.1 to 2.7% by weight or 1.1 to 2.6% by weight or 1.1 to 2.5% by weight or 1.1 to 2.4% by weight or 1.1 to 2.3% by weight or 1.1 to 2.2% by weight or 1.1 to 2.1% by weight or 1.1 to 2.0% by weight or 1.1 to 1.9% by weight or 1.1 to 1.8% by weight or 1.1 to 1.7 % by weight or 1.1 to 1.6 or 1.1 to 1.5% by weight, the lower limit of the range being 1.15% by weight or 1.2% by weight or 1.25% by weight or 1.3% by weight or 1.35% by weight or 1.4% by weight, and / or 1.1 to 30% by weight, 1.5 to 25% by weight, 2.0 to 24% by weight, 5 to 23% by weight, or 7.5 to 22% by weight of an amphoteric surfactant, 0.1 to 10% by weight of one or more humidity regulators, in particular selected from glycols having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, such as butylene glycol, hexylene glycol, caprylyl glycol, caprylyl glycol, 1,2-hexanediol, glycine or glycerol and mixtures thereof, 0 to 2.0% by weight of one or more fragrances, in particular fragrances selected from lavender oil and / or peppermint oil, 0 to 25.0% by weight, preferably 0.5 to 5% by weight, of one or more monovalent salts, in particular salts selected from NaCl, KCl and / or LiCl, 0-10% by weight of a solubilizer; and 67.0-98.7% by weight water It comprises or consists of:

[0095] Naturally, the amounts of the components in the disinfectant are selected so that they each total 100% by weight.

[0096] The disinfectant of the present invention has an acidic pH value in the range of 1.5 to 4.2, with a pH in the range of 2.0 to 3.5 being particularly preferred, meaning that the benzoate is mainly present as dissolved benzoic acid (pKa 4.2), which is the actual active ingredient.

[0097] Furthermore, the present invention relates to the use of the disinfectant in disinfecting hands, food and surfaces, i.e. the disinfectant of the present invention is suitable as a hand, food and surface disinfectant, in particular a contact time of 30 seconds of the disinfectant is sufficient to exert its full disinfecting action.

[0098] Besides its traditional use as a disinfectant in public and / or private areas, it can also be used in in situ production sterilization processes. This is an application in manufacturing processes that use raw materials that must be sterilized for solidification or further processing. This is important in all places where it is intended to be worked on germ-free or as germ-free as possible.

[0099] The disinfectants are therefore also of particular interest for use in the production of cosmetics, where the use of low-germ raw materials is of particular importance. Thus, in addition to the existing disinfecting action on hands and surfaces, the use of the disinfectants according to the invention makes it possible to sterilize bacteria-laden raw materials that are also problematic in in situ processes. These can be, for example, scrubbing agents or abrasives in the form of natural untreated germ-laden powders, such as olive shell flour, apricot shell flour, walnut shell flour, corn flour, etc. The raw materials can be sterilized directly in the production process, without the need to use expensive irradiation processes (gamma rays) or heating processes (>70°C) for this purpose. Thus, a complex sterilization process of the raw materials can be omitted. Furthermore, the disinfectants according to the invention have the great advantage that the sterilization is carried out very quickly, for example within 30 seconds, almost completely. This means that in in situ production sterilization processes also have enormous advantages, both economically and ecologically.

[0100] The advantages of the disinfectant according to the invention are extremely manifold.

[0101] Thus, the ingredients for disinfectants are already used as individual ingredients in the food sector or in the cosmetics industry and are therefore non-toxic.Some of these ingredients are known for their skin-friendly properties.Furthermore, these ingredients are also characterized by skin and environmental compatibility.

[0102] Despite not using strong oxidizing agents, the disinfectant provides excellent bactericidal effect, especially against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, fungi and viruses, and highly kills them, due to the synergistic effect of the three components: organic acid / benzoate / nonionic surfactant and / or amphoteric surfactant.

[0103] This results in a very rapid disinfecting action, which has been proven in tests, which is manifested at a contact time of up to 30 seconds. Particularly unexpectedly, the rate of bacterial destruction can be increased by the use of benzoates, and to an unexpectedly high degree by the addition of nonionic and / or amphoteric surfactants. This allows the use of organic acids to be significantly reduced. At the same time, the bacterial load is clearly reduced at this very short contact time. Experiments have confirmed that the disinfectant of the invention shows a remarkable action against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and / or Pluralibacter gergoviae, and after a contact time of the disinfectant of 30 seconds, the bacterial load or bacterial content is reduced below the detection limit. Further experiments have confirmed that the disinfectant of the invention also shows a remarkable action against fungi, in particular Candida albicans and / or Aspergillus braziliensis, and after a contact time of the disinfectant of 30 seconds, the bacterial load or bacterial content is reduced below the detection limit. Furthermore, a long-lasting effectiveness is also obtained.

[0104] The disinfectant of the invention can be provided in various forms, for example as a solution, emulsion, spray, lotion, gel or foam, or as a solid water-soluble concentrate. Water is used as the solvent, and no C1-C3-(iso)alcohol is used as the solvent.

[0105] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the disinfectant may further include ginger macerate, which can further enhance the disinfecting performance.

[0106] The disinfectant may be present as an aqueous liquid composition or as a solid composition, in particular in the form of a concentrate, which can be diluted with water for the respective application to obtain an aqueous liquid composition.

[0107] The optional use of additives, especially fragrances, such as essential oils preferably selected from lavender oil and / or peppermint oil, solubilizers or humidity regulators, can enhance the effectiveness of the disinfectant.In particular, the use of humidity regulators can show a significant improvement in effectiveness.The preferred use of nonionic surfactants and one or more humidity regulators has been found to be particularly advantageous.

[0108] Besides the traditional use in the public and / or private sector, disinfectants can also be used in in situ production sterilization processes to sterilize raw materials before processing. This plays an important role especially in the cosmetics industry. The raw materials can then be directly sterilized upstream of the production process without the need to use laborious irradiation processes (gamma rays) or heating processes (>70°C). In this case, the short contact time of 30 seconds of the disinfectant according to the invention is highly advantageous. This means a huge advantage both from an economic and ecological point of view.

[0109] The disinfectant of the present invention can be used repeatedly every day. As a disinfection method, any commonly used method of EN1275, EN1276 / EN1650, or application test of EN1500 / 1499 can be used.

[0110] The disinfectant of the present invention is therefore characterised by high bactericidal, fungicidal (yeasticidal) and virucidal activity, making it a very fast-acting hand, food and surface disinfectant. EXAMPLES

[0111] The present invention will be described in detail below based on experiments, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0112] (Experiments for disinfection in cosmetic preparations) In the experiments described below, the following equipment was used:

[0113] Test equipment: Use a BF720 incubator. A spiral plater is used as the plating device, by means of which a defined volume of the suspension to be tested for the bacteria is applied to the nutrient medium, for example an EddyJet 2W spiral plater is used. For the determination of bacterial content a manual colony counter is used.

[0114] material: Sabouraud agar plates Caso medium plates Eddy-Jet Disposable Syringes Eddy-Jet Sample Beaker

[0115] Bacterial counts are screened using the Envirocheck® system to confirm according to Ph.Eur.6.8 Chapter 2.6.12.

[0116] (General Procedure) Inoculation: Inoculation is carried out using a spiral plater with a corresponding program depending on the requirements (e.g. in one program a higher bacterial count can be better degraded by the gradient of the applied product, or in another program a larger amount can be applied, thereby lowering the decision limit). For each sample, take one fungal medium (two in case of duplicate samples) and one bacterial medium. · Standard total bacterial count testing should be performed without duplicates.

[0117] Neutralization: If neutralization is performed, it is carried out with 50% NaOH.

[0118] incubation: Bacteria: 2-3 days at 30 ± 2 °C in a corresponding incubator. Yeast / Fungus: Incubate at room temperature, excluded from light, for 3-5 days.

[0119] evaluation: This is based on a confirmed bacterial content measurement.

[0120] Measurement uncertainty: The main uncertainty of the quantitative bacterial content measurement is the sample application amount (approximately 5% RSD, relative standard deviation). The evaluation is linear between 10 and 1000 cfu / plate and has a measurement uncertainty (MU) of less than 0.1 log level. The overall measurement uncertainty is therefore approximately at the 0.15 log level. A count of 100 cfu on a plate corresponds to 1000 cfu / mL, so a maximum is between 790 and 1260 cfu / mL.

[0121] 1. Bacteria-based measurement In several preliminary tests, substances that are particularly suitable for testing contamination as a microbial base have been determined. In particular, scrubbing or polishing agents in the form of natural untreated microbial flours, such as olive husk flour, apricot husk flour, walnut husk flour, corn flour, etc., are suitable for this purpose. Walnut husk flour and corn flour have been found to be particularly suitable as a microbial base, and are therefore used in the following tests, respectively.

[0122] 2. Measurement of initial contamination of walnut shell flour and corn flour In the test, the initial contamination of walnut shell flour and corn flour as solid or aqueous slurry was investigated. To measure the bacterial count, the test process from European Pharmacopoeia, Ph.Eur., 6.8, Chapter 2.6.12 was used. In this test, five different batches of samples are taken and tested. The results of the bacterial content measurement in untreated walnut shell flour as solid or aqueous slurry are summarized in Tables 1 and 2 below. [Table 1] DF: Dilution factor nc...Cannot be counted TGC: Total bacteria count - For yeast, <7 cfu / g or mL

[0123] The microbial count corresponds to cfu / g or mL (colony forming units) for the original undiluted product, i.e., depending on the dilution, it must be multiplied by the dilution factor. [Table 2] DF: Dilution factor TGC: Total bacteria count - For yeast, <7 cfu / g or mL

[0124] In this case, the yeast / fungal medium produced more bacterial growth.

[0125] The results of the microbial content determinations of aqueous slurries of untreated corn flour are summarized in Table 3 below. [Table 3] DF: Dilution factor TGC: Total bacteria count - For yeast, <7 cfu / g or mL 1) Of these, 1500 cfu / mL is an aerobic sporulating agent. 2) Of these, 2800 cfu / mL was aerobic sporulation agent. 3) Of these, 8400 cfu / mL was aerobic sporulation agent. 4) Of these, 1100 cfu / mL was an aerobic sporulating agent.

[0126] This value was determined from the dilution because that is what it is actually used as.

[0127] The microbiological limit values ​​required by DIN ISO 17516 for the microbial count (bacteria / yeasts / fungi) are fulfilled if they are less than 2000 cfu / g. In the special case of products suitable for use on children or in the vicinity of mucous membranes, the limit values ​​are less than 200 cfu / g.

[0128] As expected, the microbial status of the dry powder as a solid is very low (see Tables 1 and 3: no dilution, VF=1). Only by adding water (VF=10) does the total microbial count increase, even up to 106 cfu / g, thus far exceeding the permissible total microbial count of 2000 cfu / g according to DIN ISO 17516. It is therefore necessary to reduce the microbial count.

[0129] 3. Disinfection with organic acids 3.1. Disinfection with Citric Acid In the tests, citric acid was added to a slurry of walnut shell flour in water with a contamination concentration of up to 106 cfu / g, and the pH was adjusted to 2.9. For this purpose, 1.6% by weight of citric acid hydrate was used. This amount was maintained at pH 2.9 in the following tests. After a given time interval T (min), one sample each was taken, which was cultivated in an incubator for 48 hours and subsequently its microbial load was measured. The time interval T thus corresponds to the contact time of the disinfectant, in this case only citric acid.

[0130] To ensure that the disinfection action in the samples did not progress further after sampling and did not distort the values, the disinfection action was stopped by adjusting the pH value to 7.0 immediately after taking the sample by adding 50% sodium hydroxide solution.

[0131] Contact times or sample collections were T=5 min, T=15 min, T=30 min, T=45 min or T=60 min.

[0132] Microbial counts after incubation are performed immediately or in an external laboratory using Environcheck® test sticks. For external testing, the product is stored refrigerated at 8° C. for at least 1 day and transferred to a Styrofoam box.

[0133] Details of the samples collected are shown in Table 4. [Table 4]

[0134] The results of the quantitative measurement of the bacterial content were as follows:

[0135] The determination of the microbial content is based on Ph.Eur.6.8-Microbial content, chapter 2.6.12. [Table 5] TGC: Total bacteria count - <7 cfu / g or mL

[0136] The bacteria here are aerobic spore formers. Nutrient agar for bacteria: Further growth of yeasts and fungi was observed. Nutrient agar for yeasts and fungi: Further growth of aerobic sporulators was observed.

[0137] The bacterial count corresponds to cfu / g or mL (colony forming units) of the original product.

[0138] The initial microbial count (total microbial count TGC) of the aqueous walnut shell flour slurry (P366-001) at T=0 min was very low at 650 cfu / g. Nevertheless, the microbial count could be reduced to 250 cfu / g after 15 min by the addition of citric acid with a pH value of 2.9. This count was only minimally changed by longer acid treatment of the slurry.

[0139] 3.2. Sterilization with lactic acid The tests described in 3.1 for aqueous slurries of walnut shell flour with and without citric acid were carried out in the same manner as above, except that lactic acid was used instead of citric acid.

[0140] The effect of lactic acid was somewhat stronger, resulting in a significant reduction in the bacterial load already at T=5 min.

[0141] 3.3. Sterilization at different pH values The tests with citric acid (test in section 3.1) and lactic acid (test in section 3.2) were repeated, but in each case instead of a pH value of 2.9 a pH value of 2.5 or 2.0 or 1.5, respectively, was adjusted by adding citric acid or lactic acid to the aqueous walnut shell flour slurry. After time intervals of T=5 min, T=15 min, T=30 min, T=45 min or T=60 min, samples were taken, thereby determining the contact time. The pH value was again adjusted to 7.0 with 50% sodium hydroxide solution to ensure that the disinfecting action of the acid in the samples had ended after sampling and did not proceed further, thus distorting the values. Subsequent incubation of the samples was carried out for 48 hours.

[0142] It was found that lowering the pH value only had a very low effect. A germ-free state was only achieved after 60 min. If the incubation time was reduced to 24 h, a germ-free state was already visible after 30 min.

[0143] 4. Disinfection with Citric Acid and Sodium Benzoate 4.1. Preliminary Test It is necessary to consider how the mortality rate can be increased by adding benzoates, such as sodium benzoate.

[0144] Sodium benzoate is not a microbiologically active ingredient, i.e. it is expected to have a very low disinfecting effect as a known preservative. Sodium benzoate dissociates into active benzoic acid at lower pH values ​​(pKa value of 4.2), i.e. at 4.2, sodium benzoate dissociates by 50%. Sodium benzoate is very well soluble in water at 20°C, at 556 g / L, whereas benzoic acid is very poorly soluble at 20°C, at 3.4 g / L. Thus, only a maximum of 0.34% benzoic acid dissolves in water. Thus, when using 0.68% sodium benzoate at pH 4.2, 0.34% benzoic acid is present in dissolved active form. The precipitated benzoic acid is no longer microbiologically active. It is therefore important to determine the solubility products, so that benzoic acid is not present in crystalline form at lower pH values.

[0145] For this purpose, in preliminary tests the solubility product of active benzoic acid is determined at pH values ​​of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. To increase the solubility, cold water typical of the production (approximately 10° C.) is also used.

[0146] Therefore, it is first described how much sodium benzoate can be dissolved at a neutral pH of 7 without benzoic acid precipitating at a pre-determined lower pH value.

[0147] As a variable, citric acid is used to lower the pH value from 1 to 5 and test its solubility in water. After 24 hours, check to see if crystals are present in the solution. Citric acid, on the other hand, with a pKa of 3.13, is very readily soluble in water at 1450 g / L at 20°C over the entire pH range.

[0148] Results: Preliminary tests confirmed that with 0.25% by weight sodium benzoate, it remains in solution without difficulty at a pH value of pH 1. With increasing pH values, the solubility of the benzoic acid / sodium benzoate equilibrium also increases. Therefore, further tests will be carried out with 0.25% by weight sodium benzoate.

[0149] 4.2. Test using citric acid and sodium benzoate A measured amount of sodium benzoate was added and dissolved in a slurry of walnut shell flour in water with a total bacterial count of up to 106 cfu / g. The pH was lowered to 2.9 with citric acid and one sample each was removed after time T (T corresponds to the contact time of citric acid and sodium benzoate with the contaminated walnut shell flour slurry). The pH was then readjusted to 7 with sodium hydroxide solution and incubated in an incubator for 48 hours. Bacterial counts of the individual samples were then performed internally using the Envirocheck® system or by an external agency via the pre-cooled stored product for 1 day.

[0150] The contact times T were: T = 5 min, T = 15 min, T = 30 min, T = 45 min, T = 60 min. Neutralization was carried out using 50% sodium hydroxide solution.

[0151] Sample details are shown in Table 6. [Table 6]

[0152] The results of the quantitative measurement of the bacterial content were as follows:

[0153] The determination of the microbial content is based on Ph.Eur.6.8-Microbial content, chapter 2.6.12. [Table 7] TGC: Total bacteria count - <7 cfu / g or mL

[0154] The bacteria here are aerobic spore formers. Nutrient agar for bacteria: Additional growth of yeasts and fungi was observed (only for sample P375-001). Nutrient agar for yeasts and fungi: Further growth of aerobic sporulators was observed.

[0155] The bacterial count corresponds to cfu / g or mL (colony forming units) of the original product.

[0156] By using 0.25% by weight of sodium benzoate in a walnut shell flour slurry, the pH value of which was adjusted to 2.9 with citric acid, the microbial load could be adjusted to a very acceptable value of 40 cfu / g after only 15 min.

[0157] Surprisingly, antiseptics such as benzoic acid already show a disinfecting effect after a very short time in combination with citric acid.

[0158] The results could be further improved when the pH value was adjusted to 2.3 with citric acid.

[0159] 4.3. Test using lactic acid and sodium benzoate The test in 4.2 was repeated but using lactic acid instead of citric acid. Lactic acid, which has a pKa of 3.9, is completely soluble and miscible in water.

[0160] Sample details are shown in Table 8. [Table 8]

[0161] The results of the quantitative measurement of the bacterial content were as follows:

[0162] The determination of the microbial content is based on Ph.Eur.6.8-Microbial content, chapter 2.6.12. [Table 9] TGC: Total bacteria count - <7 cfu / g or mL 1) Of these, 50 cfu / mL is an aerobic sporulating agent

[0163] The bacteria here are aerobic spore formers. Yeast and fungal media: Bacterial growth was observed.

[0164] The bacterial count corresponds to cfu / g or mL (colony forming units) of the original product.

[0165] As can be clearly seen, the reduction of pathogens is clearly visible after just 5 minutes. Only anaerobic spore formers remain, which are inevitable in the system and do not grow when the final product is well preserved.

[0166] 5. Investigation of contact time with the disinfectant of the present invention The contact time of the disinfectant of the present invention was investigated, using citric acid as the organic acid, sodium benzoate as the benzoate, and Genapol® UD88 (C9-11 Pareth 8) (belonging to polyalkylene glycol ether, 8EO fatty alcohol ethoxylate) as the non-ionic surfactant. The amounts of sodium benzoate, citric acid, and non-ionic surfactant were each within the range of the present invention. The following process was used:

[0167] Potentiometric determination of the pH value: Ph.Eur.8.8-pH value, Chapter 2.2.3. Bacterial content determination: Ph.Eur.6.8 - Bacterial content, chapter 2.6.12. Deviations from this were made by neutralization or dilution. A simple determination was made.

[0168] The microbial contamination of an aqueous slurry of untreated walnut shell flour was so high that it was impossible to count it. Tests were carried out with this highly microbially contaminated material: the disinfectant according to the invention was added to the slurry and after a contact time T, one sample each was taken and tested for microbial contamination as already described in detail in the previous experiment.

[0169] Tests have shown that a contact time of 30 seconds with the disinfectant of the present invention is already sufficient to achieve the desired microbial reduction.

[0170] Neutralization of the samples immediately after sampling, as a precaution to stop the disinfecting action of the disinfectant and prevent falsification of the values, was not actually necessary since the reduction in germs was virtually identical with or without the addition of NaOH.

[0171] Previous experiments have shown that the use of citric acid alone reduces the microbial load, but this is not sufficient. The addition of sodium benzoate to the citric acid could further reduce the microbial load in the slurry, but a contact time of at least 15 minutes was required to obtain significant results. In contrast, the combination of citric acid / sodium benzoate / Genapol® UD88 (C9-11 Pareth 8) according to the present invention provided a synergistic increase in disinfection activity, with a contact time of 30 seconds being sufficient to minimize microbial reduction.

[0172] 6. Investigation of contact time with additional disinfectants of the present invention a) Test 5 was repeated, but instead of the nonionic surfactant Genapol® UD88 (C9-11 Palace 8), another nonionic surfactant was used, namely Plantacare® 810UP (C8-C 10 Alkyl polyglucosides or glycosides) were used.

[0173] The same short disinfectant contact time of 30 seconds was already found to be sufficient to minimize the microbial load of the slurry in the samples.

[0174] b) The experiment in 5 was repeated, but instead of the nonionic surfactant, an amphoteric surfactant, i.e., Ammonyx LO(C 12 -C 14 amine oxide) was used.

[0175] The same short disinfectant contact time of 30 seconds was found to already be sufficient to minimize the microbial load of the slurry in the samples.

[0176] c) The experiment of 5 was repeated, but instead of the nonionic surfactant, a mixture of a nonionic surfactant and an amphoteric surfactant was used, i.e. Plantacare® 810 UP (C8-C 10 Alkyl polyglucosides or glycosides) and Ammonyx LO (C) as amphoteric surfactants 12 -C 14 A 1:1 mixture of surfactants was used.

[0177] The same short disinfectant contact time of 30 seconds was found to already be sufficient to minimize the microbial load of the slurry in the samples.

[0178] 7. Measurement of microbial reduction in an in situ process using the disinfectant according to the present invention An aqueous 3% walnut shell flour slurry with a pH value of 6.7 was used as the medium to be sterilized.

[0179] The disinfectant (1) according to the invention contained an aqueous solution of citric acid, sodium benzoate, and a non-ionic surfactant in the form of Genapol® UD88, each within the scope according to the invention.

[0180] The disinfectant (2) according to the invention contained an aqueous solution of citric acid, sodium benzoate, and a non-ionic surfactant in the form of Plantacare® 810UP, each within the scope of the invention.

[0181] The following process was used: Potentiometric determination of the pH value: Ph.Eur.8.8-pH value, Chapter 2.2.3. Determination of bacterial content: Ph.Eur.6.8-Bacterial content, Chapter 2.6.12.

[0182] The following steps were performed: The bacterial counts of aqueous walnut shell powder slurries with pH values ​​of 1, 6 and 7 were determined. 2. It was then acidified to pH 2.9 using the disinfectant according to the invention. 3. The pH value was maintained for 30 seconds and then the bacterial count was measured. 4. A portion of the slurry was then adjusted to pH 7 with 50% NaOH solution and the bacterial count was measured again. 5. The remaining slurry was then adjusted to pH 7 with 50% NaOH solution and the bacterial count was measured again.

[0183] The results were as follows: After only 30 seconds, use of the disinfectant according to the present invention resulted in a reduction of bacteria below the limit of detection.

[0184] 8. Examples 1 to 8 Measurement of the microbial reduction of various compositions of the disinfectant according to the invention on different individual bacteria. The disinfectant according to the present invention was used to thoroughly examine the reduction of bacteria against various types of bacteria.

[0185] The following bacteria were tested: [Table 10]

[0186] The disinfectant of the present invention had the composition shown in Table 11.

[0187] Testing process: Disinfection tests were carried out in aqueous solution against four individual bacteria (method: BCL M 04.01.01).

[0188] Sample description and test purpose: The samples tested were acid-powder mixtures that each have disinfecting properties in aqueous solution. In this study, these properties were tested against four bacterial test organisms using short contact times.

[0189] Bacteria Reduction Test - Test Description: A 13% aqueous solution was prepared from each of the compositions shown in Table 11.

[0190] Freshly prepared suspensions of the bacteria listed in Table 10 were prepared as inoculum. The titers of these solutions were confirmed by external dilution series.

[0191] Each 10 mL batch of solution was inoculated with 100 μl of one of the four inoculum suspensions. After 30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes and 5 minutes, each inoculated batch was neutralized with 0.1 molar sodium hydroxide solution. Up to 100 μl of these now neutralized solutions were plated onto CASO nutrient agar dishes using a spiral plater. The dishes were incubated in a 30° C. incubator for a total of 5 days and counted for bacterial colony growth after 2 and 5 days.

[0192] evaluation: The following Tables 11 to 15 show the compositions of the disinfectants according to the present invention and the results of the bacteria reduction tests for the four test bacteria.

[0193] The Plantacare® 810UP used is C8-C 10 It is a non-ionic surfactant based on alkyl polyglucosides or glycosides. It is available commercially as a viscous liquid composition with a water content of 35-38%. The Genapol® UD88 used is also a non-ionic surfactant with the composition C9-11 pareth. Desmosoft® Octiol is caprylyl glycol (1,2-octanediol) and is a humidity regulator. It is solid at room temperature (20-25°C).

[0194] [Table 11]

[0195] The compositions according to the invention, each present as a solid concentrate, were used by diluting them in a 13% aqueous solution, the composition of which is given in Table 12 below. [Table 12]

[0196] [Table 13] [Table 14]

[0197] Specifically, the bacterial content of Composition A was determined as follows: [Table 15]

[0198] For the compositions of Examples 2 to 8, the inoculum counts at the start of the different tests were of corresponding magnitudes.

[0199] result: The germ reduction test of the disinfectant according to the present invention used in Examples 1 to 8 showed surprisingly high germ reduction activity against the bacterial test germs Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Pullularibacter gergoviae in a 13% aqueous solution. After only 30 seconds of contact time, these germs were reduced from the initial concentration of 1E6 colony forming units (cfu) / mL or more to less than 13 cfu / mL. In other words, the disinfectant according to the present invention exerted its maximum effect and reduced the germ load of typical germs to a minimum after only 30 seconds of contact time.

[0200] 9. Examples 9 to 22 Measurement of microbial reduction based on further compositions of disinfectants according to the present invention The microbial reduction was again investigated using several aqueous liquid compositions for the disinfectant according to the present invention. The compositions and results are summarized in detail in the following table.

[0201] The Plantacare® 810UP used is C8-C 10Ammonyx LO is a non-ionic surfactant available commercially in the form of an aqueous solution based on alkyl polyglucosides or glycosides. 12 ~C 14 It is an amphoteric surfactant in the form of an amine oxide. Desmosoft® Octiol is caprylyl glycol and is a humidity regulator. Hydrolite 6 is 1,2-hexanediol and is a humidity regulator. Glycerin is a humidity regulator.

[0202] [Table 16A] + Bacteria count drops below detectable levels within 30 seconds [Table 16B] + Bacteria count drops below detectable levels within 30 seconds

[0203] result: The germ reduction test of the disinfectant according to the present invention used in Examples 9 to 22 showed surprisingly high germ reduction effect against the bacterial test germs Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pullularibacter gergoviae. After only 30 seconds of contact time, these germs were reduced from the initial value of 1E6 colony forming units (cfu) / mL or more to below the detection limit. The disinfectant according to the present invention exerted its maximum effect after only 30 seconds of contact time, reducing the germ load of typical germs to a minimum.

[0204] Among other things, the presence of one or more humidity regulators is particularly advantageous since they further enhance the antimicrobial, and in particular the fungicidal, effect of the disinfectant.

[0205] 10. Change in the amount of sodium benzoate in the disinfectant according to the invention Test results show that varying the amount of sodium benzoate in accordance with the present invention over the full range of 0.01-30.0% by weight, especially at 0.25-30.0% by weight, increases the maximum amount of active benzoic acid present in the solution until it becomes saturated, resulting in a reduction in microbial counts in the desired short reaction time.

Claims

1. A disinfectant comprising: an organic acid selected from the group consisting of citric acid, lactic acid, and succinic acid, or a mixture thereof; a benzoate selected from the group consisting of sodium benzoate, potassium benzoate, or calcium benzoate, or mixtures thereof; one or more surfactants selected from the group consisting of nonionic surfactants and / or amphoteric surfactants which are soluble, emulsifiable or dispersible in water; Including, The disinfectant is present in an aqueous liquid composition or a solid composition, The aqueous liquid disinfectant composition contains one or more nonionic surfactants in an amount ranging from 1.1 to 3% by weight, and / or one or more amphoteric surfactants in an amount ranging from 1.1 to 30% by weight, the solid composition is a concentrate and the aqueous liquid composition is a concentrate in diluted form containing the one or more nonionic surfactants in an amount ranging from 1.1 to 3 wt. % and / or the one or more amphoteric surfactants in an amount ranging from 1.1 to 30 wt. %, The disinfectant is intended for external use only; the one or more non-ionic surfactants are selected from the group consisting of fatty alcohol alkoxylates, alkyl polyglucosides or alkyl polyglycosides (APGs), either individually or in mixtures thereof; the one or more amphoteric surfactants are selected from the group consisting of amine oxides; When one or more nonionic surfactants are present, one or more humectants are also present in an amount of 0.1 to 5 wt. %; However, no other surfactants other than the nonionic and / or amphoteric surfactants are present, and C １ -C ３ - (iso)alcohol is absent, C １ -C ３ - Disinfectants in which (iso)alcohol is methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, isopropanol and does not contain the compounds chlorhexidine digluconate, sorbitan caprylate and phenoxyethanol.

2. The nonionic surfactant is polyoxyethylene ether of lauryl alcohol, C ９ -C １１ Palace -8, C ８ -C １０ - alkyl polyglycosides or glucosides, either alone or in mixtures thereof, selected from the group consisting of The disinfectant according to claim 1 ,

3. The one or more non-ionic surfactants have an HLB value of ≧7, in particular ≧12, or a cloud point (Trübungspunkt) of ≧40° C. (1 g in 100 ml water). The disinfectant according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that

4. The one or more amphoteric surfactants are １２ -C １４ 3. A disinfectant according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is selected from the group consisting of amine oxides.

5. The disinfectant is present in an aqueous liquid composition or as a solid composition in the form of a concentrate, in particular as a solution, emulsion, lotion, spray, gel, foam or as a solid in the form of a concentrate, the concentrate being water-soluble or emulsifiable or dispersible in water. The disinfectant according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that

6. The one or more organic acids are present in the disinfectant in the form of a solid composition in an amount selected from 5 to 85% by weight, 10 to 85% by weight, 15 to 85% by weight, 20 to 85% by weight, 25 to 85% by weight or 30 to 85% by weight, depending on the application; or In the disinfectant, the one or more organic acids are present in the form of an aqueous liquid composition in an amount selected from 0.1 to 15% by weight, preferably 0.5 to 12% by weight, depending on the intended use. The disinfectant according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that

7. the one or more benzoates are present in the disinfectant in the form of a solid composition in an amount selected from 1.5 to 30% by weight, 2.0 to 29% by weight, 3.0 to 28% by weight, or 4.0 to 27% by weight, preferably 5.0 to 26.0% by weight, depending on the application, or The one or more benzoates are present in the disinfectant in the form of an aqueous liquid composition in an amount selected from 0.1 to 5.0% by weight, 0.15 to 5.0% by weight, or 0.2 to 4.5% by weight, preferably 0.25 to 3.5% by weight, depending on the application. The disinfectant according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that

8. the one or more non-ionic surfactants are present in the disinfectant in the form of a solid composition in an amount selected from 1.1 to 30% by weight, 1.5 to 25% by weight, 2.0 to 24% by weight, 5 to 23% by weight, or 7.5 to 22% by weight, depending on the application; or wherein the one or more non-ionic surfactants are present in the disinfectant in the form of an aqueous liquid composition in an amount selected from 1.1-3.0% by weight, or 1.1-2.9% by weight, or 1.1-2.8% by weight, or 1.1-2.7% by weight, or 1.1-2.6% by weight, or 1.1-2.5% by weight, or 1.1-2.4% by weight, or 1.1-2.3% by weight, or 1.1-2.2% by weight, or 1.1-2.1% by weight, or 1.1-2.0% by weight, or 1.1-1.9% by weight, or 1.1-1.8% by weight, or 1.1-1.7% by weight, or 1.1-1.6% or 1.1-1.5% by weight, depending on the application, and the lower limit of the specified range may also be 1.15% by weight, or 1.2% by weight, or 1.25% by weight, or 1.3% by weight, or 1.35% by weight, or 1.4% by weight. The disinfectant according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that

9. the one or more amphoteric nonionic surfactants are present in the disinfectant in the form of a solid composition in an amount selected from 1.1 to 30% by weight, 1.5 to 25% by weight, 2.0 to 24% by weight, 5 to 23% by weight, or 7.5 to 22% by weight, depending on the application; or In the disinfectant, the one or more amphoteric nonionic surfactants are present in the form of an aqueous liquid composition in an amount selected from 1.1 to 30% by weight, 1.5 to 25% by weight, 2.0 to 24% by weight, 5 to 23% by weight, or 7.5 to 22% by weight, depending on the intended use. The disinfectant according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that

10. the one or more humidity control agents are selected from glycols having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, in particular butylene glycol, hexylene glycol, caprylyl glycol, caprylyl glycol and 1,2-hexanediol, glycine and glycerin, and mixtures thereof; The disinfectant according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that

11. The disinfectant contains one or more additives, the one or more additives being: Ginger macerate or the active ingredient 6-gingerol, and / or one or more fragrance substances, and / or one or more solubilizing agents, and / or One or more monovalent salts, in particular selected from KCl, NaCl and / or LiCl To be selected from The disinfectant according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that

12. The disinfectant is present in a solid composition, the solid composition comprising: 5 to 85% by weight of an organic acid; 1.5 to 30% by weight of benzoate, 1.1 to 30% by weight of a nonionic surfactant and / or 1.1 to 30% by weight of an amphoteric surfactant, 0-2.0% by weight of ginger macerate or 6-gingerol, 0.1 to 5.0 wt. % of one or more humidity control agents; 0 to 2.0 wt. % of one or more fragrances, 0 to 25.0% by weight of one or more monovalent salts, in particular selected from NaCl, KCl and / or LiCl, and 0-10% by weight of a solubilizer, Comprising or consisting of Alternatively, the disinfectant is present as an aqueous liquid composition, the aqueous liquid composition comprising: 0.1 to 15% by weight, preferably 0.5 to 12% by weight, of an organic acid, 0.1 to 5.0 wt. %, preferably 0.25 to 3.5 wt. % of benzoate, 1.1 to 3.0% by weight of a nonionic surfactant and / or 1.1 to 30% by weight of an amphoteric surfactant; 0.1 to 5.0 wt. % of one or more humidity control agents; 0 to 2.0 wt. % of one or more fragrances, 0 to 25.0% by weight, preferably 0.5 to 5% by weight, of one or more monovalent salts, in particular selected from NaCl, KCl and / or LiCl, 0-10% by weight of a solubilizer, and 67.0 to 98.7% by weight of water Containing or consisting of The disinfectant according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that

13. 3. Use of the disinfectant according to claim 1 or 2 for disinfecting hands, food, surfaces and in in situ production sterilization processes, in particular where a contact time of 30 seconds with said disinfectant is sufficient to show its full disinfecting action.

14. Use of the disinfectant according to claim 13 against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans and / or Pluralibacter gergoviae, whereby the microbial load is reduced below the detection limit after a contact time of 30 seconds with the disinfectant.