Glutaraldehyde:
Glutaraldehyde has the property to bind itself to the proteins through their amine groups.

It has a very strong virucidal activity obtained by the cross-linking of the proteins of the naked (or hydrophilic) viruses ’ capsid.

It also combines with the nucleic acids contained in viruses DNA/RNA). Bactericidal and fungicidal activities are due to the combination of glutaraldehyde with the proteinic parts of metabolic enzymes, and with the amino-acids.

Being strictly hydrophilic, glutaraldehyde cannot cross the cell's lipid membrane nor the coating of lipophilic viruses.


Therefore it can only act outside these micro-organisms and has consequently a rather slow action.

BIXLER formula allows glutaraldehyde to kill germs from the inside due to synergistic blend with highly tensio-active Quaternary Ammonium Bromide ( QAB).

Quaternary Ammonium Bromide

QAB's are cationic tensio-active agents. At low concentration they have cidal properties on a wide spectrum of micro-organisms (Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria, fungi, viruses).

Their major site of action is the cell membrane, where they create a dissolution of phospholipids (cell membranes) and cause changes in permeability that allow the escape of cell constituents and cause cell disorientation.

These changes in permeability allow glutaraldehyde to penetrate inside the microorganisms.