Detergent Composition Using DNase to Reduce Bacterial Adhesion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laundry items, especially textiles like T-shirts and sportswear, often retain bacteria that cause bad odors due to adhesion to the fabric, leading to persistent malodor issues even after washing, which affects cleanliness perceptions and may require additional wash cycles, wasting resources and energy.
Innovation Solution
A detergent composition comprising anionic surfactants, enzymes such as protease, lipase, and deoxyribonuclease (DNase) is used in a washing method that exposes textiles to a wash liquor containing DNase, completing a wash cycle, and optionally rinsing, to reduce bacterial adhesion and malodor, thereby maintaining textile whiteness and preventing redeposition of soils.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional washing methods are used, then the washing process is simple, but bacteria adhere to textile surfaces causing persistent malodor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces DNase as an intermediary substance that specifically targets and degrades bacterial extracellular DNA, which is a key component in bacterial adhesion to textile surfaces. By breaking down this adhesive matrix, DNase prevents bacterial attachment without requiring complex physical or chemical treatments, thus resolving the contradiction between effectiveness and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical parameter of the wash liquor by adding DNase enzyme, which catalyzes the hydrolysis of extracellular DNA. This biochemical parameter change enables selective disruption of bacterial adhesion mechanisms without affecting the textile fabric, achieving effective malodor reduction with a relatively simple detergent formulation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If multiple wash cycles are performed to remove bacteria, then malodor is reduced, but energy and resources are wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies DNase during the washing process to preliminarily prevent bacterial adhesion before it can establish persistent colonies. By acting during the wash cycle rather than requiring repeated washing, the enzyme achieves effective malodor control in a single wash, thereby reducing energy and resource consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical approach of repeated washing cycles with a biochemical mechanism using DNase enzyme. Instead of relying on multiple mechanical wash cycles to gradually remove bacteria, the enzyme chemically degrades the adhesion substrate, achieving the same malodor reduction goal with a single wash cycle and significantly lower energy consumption.
3Reliability
If washing is performed frequently to maintain cleanliness, then textile freshness is improved, but resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes the mechanical washing process with a biochemical action using DNase that specifically targets bacterial adhesion. This enzymatic approach maintains textile cleanliness by preventing bacterial colonization at the molecular level, allowing clothes to stay fresh longer between washes and thereby reducing water and detergent consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The DNase enzyme provides a self-service mechanism by autonomously degrading bacterial extracellular DNA and preventing adhesion. This biochemical self-protection mechanism extends the cleanliness period of textiles without requiring frequent external washing interventions, thus reducing resource consumption while maintaining reliability.
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
The solution effectively reduces bacterial adhesion and malodor from laundry, ensuring cleaner textiles after a single wash cycle, saving energy and resources by eliminating the need for repeated washing and maintaining fabric whiteness.
Implementation Method 1
a deoxyribonuclease (DNase)... capable of reducing adhesion of bacteria
Implementation Method 2
bacterial deoxyribonuclease compounds and methods for biofilm disruption and prevention
Implementation Method 3
one or more anionic surfactants... an enzyme selected from the group consisting of: a protease, a lipase, a cutinase, an amylase, a carbohydrase, a cellulase, a pectinase, a mannanase, an arabinase, a galactanase, a xylanase, and an oxidase
Implementation Method 4
an enzyme selected from the group consisting of: a protease, a lipase, a cutinase, an amylase, a carbohydrase, a cellulase, a pectinase, a mannanase, an arabinase, a galactanase, a xylanase, and an oxidase
Implementation Method 5
an enzyme selected from the group consisting of: a protease, a lipase, a cutinase, an amylase, a carbohydrase, a cellulase, a pectinase, a mannanase, an arabinase, a galactanase, a xylanase, and an oxidase
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention concerns a detergent composition comprising one or more anionic surfactants; an enzyme selected from the group consisting of: a protease, a lipase, a cutinase, an amylase, a carbohydrase, a cellulase, a pectinase, a mannanase, an arabinase, a galactanase, a xylanase, and an oxidase; and a deoxyribonuclease (DNase).