Ozonated Mineral Oil: Preparation, Characterization and Evaluation of the Microbicidal Activity

<p>The ozonation of vegetable oils has been studied, since the produced ointments have antibacterial and fungicidal activities. However, the ozonation of mineral oils has not been reported in the literature yet, opening an interesting field for examination. In this work, we have shown the ozonation of a commercial mineral oil (Nujol). The main goal was to produce oils containing free ozone, so that this gas could act as antimicrobial agent. It was found that in Nujol, ozone remains for at least 40 days and in the sample ozonized for 15 h its concentration was 7.5 mg mL⁻¹. Neat Nujol showed no antimicrobial activity against the tested microorganisms, however, when ozonated it showed antimicrobial activity against <i>Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>Escherichia coli</i>.