Antibacterial effect of zinc oxide in vitro.

Antibacterial activity, zinc concentrations and pH were measured in Müller-Hinton broth containing different amounts of zinc oxide and inoculated with Staphylococcus aureus (10(6) colony forming units/ml). The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of zinc oxide to different clinical isolates were determined using the Müller-Hinton agar dilution tests. Gram-positive bacteria were most susceptible. Gram-negative aerobic bacteria and streptococci were usually not inhibited even at the highest concentrations used (1024 micrograms/ml), but staphylococci--particularly some isolates of Staphylococcus epidermidis--were sensitive enough to allow determination of their MIC.