title: Bactericidal activity of cerumen.
abstract: Freshly collected cerumen (dry form) suspended at a concentration of 3% in glycerol-sodium bicarbonate buffer showed bactericidal activity against some strains of bacteria tested. This suspension reduced the viability of Haemophilus influenzae, Escherichia coli K-12, and Serratia marcescens by more than 99%, whereas the viability of two Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates, E. coli K-1, Streptococcus, and two Staphylococcus aureus isolates of human origin was reduced by 30 to 80%. The results support the hypothesis that cerumen functions to kill certain foreign organisms which enter the ear canal.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D001433:Bacteriolysis; D002571:Cerumen / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D009113:Muramidase / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D009113:Muramidase