Controlled release of preservatives using dealuminated zeolite Y

This study demonstrates that dealuminated zeolite Y can act as a depot after adsorption of phenol derived preservatives. Upon suspension of zeolite loaded with the preservative m-cresol, equilibrium was quickly reached between free and adsorbed m-cresol. The equilibrium concentration of m-cresol was below 1 mM; however, it was enough to kill bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus under metabolically active conditions. Killing of bacteria was not obtained under non-proliferating conditions and m-cresol was only released from the zeolite upon bacterial activity. Together, these results demonstrate an interesting potential use of dealuminated zeolite Y containing adsorbed preservatives for preventing microbial growth in numerous applications in industry and clinical setting.