Evaluation of the Effects of Alternative Magnetic Fields on Growth of Escherichia Coli and Staphylococcus Aureus
Abstract:
Purpose: This research aimed to evaluate the effect of different intensities and frequencies of alternative electromagnetic fields on the growth situations of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus strains.
Materials and Methods: The effect of 1 and 2 mT alternative magnetic fields with 50, 75, 100, and 150 Hz frequencies were evaluated on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus strains by standard plate count technique as viable colony counts on nutrients agar culture medium. Incubation was at 37 °C for 24 hours and then colonies were counted as colony-forming units per millilitre (CFU/ml).
Results: The results of colony-forming units showed that the number of Escherichia coli colonies treated with 1 and 2 mT magnetic fields with 50, 75, 100 and 150 Hz frequencies were more than the colonies of the control groups but CFU/ml of Staphylococcus aureus treated with the magnetic fields were less than the colonies of control groups.
Conclusion: The highest decrease of the CFU and the negative magnetic field effect on bacterial growth was observed with Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus. The smallest magnetic field effect (increase of CFU) was achieved for Escherichia coli.
