Inactivation of the enveloped bacteriophage phi 6 butylated hydroxytoluene and butylated hydroxyanisole

Journal Article · Thu Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1976 · Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1128/AAC.10.1.96· OSTI ID:5797046

Wanda, P ^[1]; Cupp, J; Snipes, W; Keith, A; Rucinsky, T; Polish, L; Sands, J

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1. Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park

Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) is a potent inactivator of the enveloped bacterial virus phi 6 at concentrations as low as 3 x 10/sup -5/ M. The viral envelope is not removed by BHT treatment, in contrast to the effects of exposure to the detergent Titon X-100. BHT-treated viruses are morphologically indistinguishable from controls but are defective in their abilty to attach to the host cell. Temperature at the time of exposure was found to be a crucial factor in the effectiveness of BHT against phi 6. A precipitous drop in the degree of inactivation by 3 x 10/sup -5/ M BHT occurred when the temperature was lowered from 20 to 15/sup 0/C. Calcium ions were found to potentiate te effect of BHT, particularly at lower temperatures where BHT alone was relatively ineffective. Barium and strontium, but not magnesium, were also effective in enhancing the activity of BHT. A structurally related molecule, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), was also found to inactivate phi 6 virus, but higher concentrations were required than with BHT. Both BHT and BHA are commonly used as food additives, have apparent low toxicity to humans and other animals, and are potentially useful as antiviral agents.

• OSTI ID: 5797046
• Journal Information: Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.; (United States), Vol. 10:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
BUTYL RADICALS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
VIRUSES
INACTIVATION
ADDITIVES
BACTERIOPHAGES
BARIUM
CALCIUM
CRESOLS
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
FOOD
HOST
HYDROXYL RADICALS
MAGNESIUM
OPTIMIZATION
STRONTIUM
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
ALKYL RADICALS
AROMATICS
ELEMENTS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
METALS
MICROORGANISMS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PARASITES
PHENOLS
RADICALS
550200* - Biochemistry