Electrolyzed Water Reduces Bacterial Biofilms in Lab Tests
The Efficacy of an Electrolysed Water Formulation on Biofilms
Research hubs: Skin & Dermatology System
This research was done on cells or tissue in a lab, not in people or animals.
- Evidence type
- Laboratory study (cells or tissue)
- Authors
- Anne-Marie Salisbury, Steven L. Percival
- Journal
- Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
- Year
- 2018
- PMID
- 29748921
- Study Type
- Cell Culture
- Delivery
- Water (Electrolysis)
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- United Kingdom
TL;DR
A new type of water treated with electricity and salt can quickly kill bacteria and fungus in wounds without harming human cells.
Key Finding
An electrolysed water formulation reduced bacterial biofilms from two common wound pathogens within 15 minutes while remaining safe to human cells at therapeutic concentrations.
Summary
Researchers tested a special type of water created by passing an electric current through salt water to see if it could kill bacterial biofilms (sticky clusters of bacteria that resist antibiotics). The electrolysed water killed two common wound-causing bacteria effectively within 15 minutes, and at lower concentrations, it didn't harm human cells. This suggests the treatment might help clean infected wounds.
Practical Takeaway
This is early laboratory evidence only—the study used cells in dishes, not human wounds or living organisms. While the results are promising for potential wound care applications, much more research in animals and humans would be needed before any health claims could be made. This work does not involve hydrogen water specifically, but rather electrolysed salt water.
Abstract (excerpt)
Electrolysed water is a basic process whereby an electric current is passed through deionised water containing a low concentration of sodium chloride in an electrolysis chamber, which results in a more complex chemistry resulting in the production of a strong bactericidal and fungicidal solution…