Meconium is a complex mixture of various substances, it is difficult to determine which components of meconium are responsible for the surfactant inhibition.

We previously reported that Surfactant-TA and Exosurf almost completely inhibited the growth of Haemophilus influenzae at the concentration of 100% without apparent difference in the efficiency.

In the present study, we have determined the effect of Surfactant-TA on H. influenzae growth by meconium and further investigated if this effect is caused by methanol or chloroform soluble meconium component.

Exponentially growing H. influenzae were mixed with surfactant at serial dilutions. Mixed solutions of bacteria, surfactant and meconium, or it's subfractions were incubated at 37°C for 90 min. Then, the mixture was serially diluted with physiologcal saline. Each diluted mixture were cultivated on chocolate agar plate. And number of viable bacteria was determined by colony counting after 18 hour incubation.Figure

figure 1

Figure 1

The total meconium, methanol or chloroform soluble meconium components all did not affected the H. influenzae growth inhibition effect of Surfactant-TA.