title: Enzymatic generation of hydrogen peroxide shows promising antifouling effect.
abstract: The antifouling (AF) potential of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) produced enzymatically in a coating containing starch, glucoamylase, and hexose oxidase was evaluated in a series of laboratory tests and in-sea field trials. Dissolved H(2)O(2) inhibited bacterial biofilm formation by eight of nine marine Proteobacteria, tested in microtiter plates. However, enzymatically produced H(2)O(2) released from a coating did not impede biofilm formation by bacteria in natural seawater tested in a biofilm reactor. A field trial revealed a noticeable effect of the enzyme system: after immersion in the North Sea for 97 days, the reference coating without enzymes had 35-40 barnacles, 10% area coverage by diatoms and 15% area coverage by tunicates. The enzyme containing coating had only 6-12 barnacles, 10% area coverage by diatoms and no tunicates. The enzyme system had a performance similar to a copper-based commercial coating and thus appears to have potential as a non-persistent AF agent.
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Kristensen
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Laursen
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kragh
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Poulsen
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Besenbacher
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Meyer
mesh_terms: D000429:Alcohol Oxidoreductases / Q000737:chemistry; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D057219:Biofouling / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019149:Bioreactors; D005087:Glucan 1,4-alpha-Glucosidase / Q000737:chemistry; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D020560:Proteobacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D013213:Starch / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D013213:Starch; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D000429:Alcohol Oxidoreductases; C021354:hexose oxidase; D005087:Glucan 1,4-alpha-Glucosidase