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uPont Filaments's new filament with antimicrobial action, introduced for the global toothbrush market, is shown to inhibit two types of bacteria growth commonly found in toothbrush bristles.

Marketed under the trade name Tynex StaClean, the filament is the answer to several research studies that report toothbrushes harbour millions of micro-organisms.

The company says that independent tests show the new filaments inhibit multiplication of tested microorganisms up to 99% after 24 hours of use. Two typical types of aggressive bacteria - one gram-positive and one gram-negative - were tested because they are identified frequently as inhabiting toothbrush bristles.

The filaments contain inorganic silver (AG) and zinc (Zn) additives to offer a time-released antimicrobial action by reacting with microorganisms in a tri-modal way: inhibiting the membrane transport, interrupting metabolism and preventing the cellular multiplication.

DuPont Filaments is a joint venture between the Wuxi Xingda Nylon and DuPont and their affiliate companies.