(Meth)acrylic Adsorbent for Microorganism Detection in Kampo Extracts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current microorganism detection methods face challenges in accurately detecting target microorganisms in Kampo extract preparations and crude drugs due to the inhibitory effects of antimicrobial substances, which are difficult to neutralize effectively, leading to reduced detection precision and difficulties in colony discrimination.
Innovation Solution
The use of a (meth)acrylic acid ester-based synthetic adsorbent that selectively adsorbs antimicrobial substances without inhibiting the growth of target microorganisms, allowing for precise detection by reducing the influence of these substances and maintaining medium transparency, enabling easy separation and removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If activated carbon and acid clay or activated clay are added to a medium to remove antimicrobial substances, then the antimicrobial activity is reduced, but the medium becomes colored and transparency is reduced, making it difficult to discriminate colonies
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical composition parameters of the adsorbent material from traditional activated carbon/clay to a specific polyacrylic acid derivative with controlled molecular weight and functional groups. This parameter change allows the adsorbent to remove antimicrobial substances while maintaining medium transparency and colony visibility, resolving the contradiction between antimicrobial removal and measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite adsorbent system comprising polyacrylic acid and its crosslinked derivatives combined with specific salts (such as calcium chloride, magnesium sulfate). This composite material achieves both antimicrobial substance removal and maintains optical properties of the medium, solving the contradiction between harmful factor reduction and measurement accuracy.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the dilution ratio of sample liquid is increased to reduce antimicrobial influence, then the antimicrobial effect is diminished, but the sensitivity of detection declines
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a polyacrylic acid-based adsorbent as an intermediary substance that selectively binds to antimicrobial compounds in the sample. This intermediary removes the harmful antimicrobial influence without requiring dilution of the sample, thereby maintaining both the reduction of antimicrobial effect and the sensitivity of detection.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If membrane filtration is used to remove antimicrobial substances, then the removal effect is achieved, but insoluble fine particles in Kampo extract preparations cannot be filtered and the method cannot be employed
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical state and molecular structure parameters of the adsorbent to create a soluble polyacrylic acid derivative that can function in complex matrices containing fine particles. This parameter change allows the adsorbent to work effectively in Kampo extract preparations without being interfered with by insoluble particles, achieving both removal effect and versatility.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method effectively removes antimicrobial substances, allowing for accurate and high-precision detection of microorganisms, enhancing the range of detectable microorganisms and simplifying colony measurement, particularly in Kampo extract preparations and crude drugs, while maintaining medium clarity and ease of adsorbent separation.
Implementation Method 1
allowing a (meth)acrylic acid ester-based synthetic adsorbent to act on the sample liquid and/or the culture medium so as to selectively adsorb the antimicrobial substances in the test sample
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
Provided is a microorganism detection method which is highly versatile and applicable to both the test for the detection of specified microorganisms and the microbial enumeration test under the same test conditions for Kampo extract preparations and crude drugs containing a variety of antimicrobial substances, is able to effectively reduce the influence of antimicrobial substances in a test sample, and may detect target microorganisms with high precision. This method is a microorganism detection method in a test sample having antimicrobial activity, including a step of preparing a sample liquid containing a test sample having antimicrobial activity and a step of culturing a target microorganism in a culture medium, the method including allowing a (meth) acrylic acid ester-based synthetic adsorbent to act on the sample liquid and/or the culture medium.