Abstract
Selected electrochemical methods for the determination of possible membrane permeabilization in two Escherichia coli bacterial strains were examined. Escherichia coli, a gram-negative rod-shaped bacterium, is an important component of the mammalian intestinal microbiota.
However, some strains of this bacterium are pathogenic and can cause a variety of diseases. Partial aim of this work was to identify beta-galactosidase enzyme as one of the possible factors characterizing disintegration of bacterial membrane.
To permeabilize the bacterial membrane, cathelicidin LL-37, the body's own antimicrobial peptide, and membrane degradation by microwave radiation were used. In the investigation of structural changes in the bacterial membrane, square-wave voltammetry and chronopotentiometric dissolution analysis in combination with the mercury drop electrode and the glassy carbon electrode were used.
UV/VIS spectrophotometry was used to indirectly track changes in bacterial cell structure.