The effect of extremely low frequency (ELF) pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) on bacteria staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

Current interest in the application of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) as alternative therapy for different medical conditions has proven to be successful. There are studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of low frequency PEMF in facilitating wound healing. There are many factors that can affect wound healing and cause improper or impaired tissue repair. Of particular interest are the infected wounds where bacteria or other microorganisms have colonized that cause either a delay in wound healing or deterioration of the wound. In most cases, wounds are typically contaminated by bacteria. In this study, we investigate the application of the applied PEMF on the selected bacterial cultures. In our previous study [1], we presented and discussed the design and development of an extremely low frequency (ELF) PEMF system that produces time varying magnetic field in the range of 0.5 mT to 2.5 mT for a frequency range of 2–500 Hz. Here, we report simulation results of the induced magnetic field distribution and the region of uniformity produced by the system of two pairs of air core Helmholtz coils. We also present the experimental evaluation of varying parametric changes in the applied ELF PEMF on the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. The selection of this gram-positive bacterium for this study is attributed to the versatile role of these bacteria in infecting wounded tissues. These bacteria are also within easy reach and can be bred at a temperature of 37◦C. Here, the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria in broth were exposed to the ELF PEMF of magnetic flux density, B = 0.5–2.5 mT, frequency (f) range of 2–500 Hz and time of exposure, t = 90 min. This is done in order to compare studied bacterial cultures viability (number of colony-forming units (CFU)). The number of colony-forming units aids in quantifying the experimental result. Fresh bacterial culture is used throughout the experiment. Findings from our investigation have direct implication in determining the optimal characteristics of the applied ELF PEMF for possible treatment of infected tissue and thus, wound healing promotion