PROPHAGE INDUCTION ACTIVITY OF QUATERNARY AMMONIUM DISINFECTANTS

Nineteen commercially available disinfectant substances were evaluated for their ability to induce a prophage in lysogenic S. typhimurium st rain at subinhibitory concentrations. The test of prophage induction i s a short-term bacterial test for the detection of DNA damage interfer ence with the SOS system. All substances, except for two, induced a pr ophage, displaying plaque formation of different degree in the indicat or S. typhimurium strain. On the basis of this effect the substances t ested were divided into five groups. The most powerful inducers were t he following substances: Aldekol-Des O1, Antibacteric P, Incidin extra and Lysoformin 3000. In general, no connection between the prophage i nduction ability and concentration of the tested substances was found.