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Special Issue "Biofilm Control"

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A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2019) | Viewed by 9770

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Manuel Simões

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LEPABE, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Roberto Frias, s/n, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Interests: antimicrobial agents; emerging antimicrobial strategies; antimicrobial resistance; biofilms; plant secondary metabolites
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Dr. Sérgio F. Sousa

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UCIBIO/REQUIMTE, BioSIM - Departamento de BioMedicina, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
Interests: computational enzymatic catalysis; QM/MM; docking; virtual screening; molecular dynamics simulations
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Dr. Efstathios Giaouris

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Laboratory of Food Microbiology and Hygiene, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, School of the Environment, University of the Aegean, 81400 Myrina, Greece
Interests: biofilms; antimicrobial resistance and tolerance; foodborne bacterial pathogens; virulence and pathogenesis; disinfection; novel (green) antimicrobials; food hygiene and safety; quorum sensing; intercellular interactions; bacterial stress adaptation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

During the last three decades, the scientific community has provided solid evidence that the concept of microbial development, organization, and evolution as communities comprises the existence of self-organization and cooperativity among cells as a driving force in community development, rather than the classical natural selection of individual microorganisms. Such a level of microbial organization as sessile communities, also known as biofilms, provides inhabitant cells with the ability to survive in hostile environments. Biofilms are particularly critical in the medical and industrial sectors. The most common practice to eliminate unwanted biofilms is the application of antimicrobial agents. However, current practices often exhibit inefficacy in biofilm control. New molecules with novel mechanisms of action are required for effective biofilm control.

Collaborations for this Special Issue are expected to provide advances on biofilm control through the prevention of biofilm formation, the use of antimicrobial agents to treat existing biofilms, and/or the development of novel strategies to disrupt the polymeric ties that bind the biofilm cells together (quorum quenchers; disruptors of extracellular polymeric substances, etc.).

Dr. Manuel V. Simões
Dr. Sérgio F. Sousa
Dr. Efstathios D. Giaouris
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2300 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Antimicrobials
Biofilm control
Medicinal chemistry
Pilicides
Quorum sensing inhibition

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

Open AccessArticle

Listeria Monocytogenes Biofilm Removal Using Different Commercial Cleaning Agents

and

Molecules 2020, 25(4), 792; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25040792 - 12 Feb 2020

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3502

Abstract

Effective cleaning and disinfection (C&D) is pivotal for the control of Listeria monocytogenes in food processing environments. Bacteria in biofilms are protected from biocidal action, and effective strategies for the prevention and removal of biofilms are needed. In this study, different C&D biofilm control strategies on pre-formed L. monocytogenes biofilms on a conveyor belt material were evaluated and compared to the effect of a conventional chlorinated, alkaline cleaner (agent A). Bacterial reductions up to 1.8 log were obtained in biofilms exposed to daily C&D cycles with normal user concentrations of alkaline, acidic, or enzymatic cleaning agents, followed by disinfection using peracetic acid. No significant differences in bactericidal effects between the treatments were observed. Seven-day-old biofilms were more tolerant to C&D than four-day-old biofilms. Attempts to optimize biofilm eradication protocols for four alkaline, two acidic, and one enzymatic cleaning agent, in accordance with the manufacturers’ recommendations, were evaluated. Increased concentrations, the number of subsequent treatments, the exposure times, and the temperatures of the C&D agents provided between 4.0 and >5.5 log reductions in colony forming units (CFU) for seven-day-old L. monocytogenes biofilms. Enhanced protocols of conventional and enzymatic C&D protocols have the potential for improved biofilm control, although further optimizations and evaluations are needed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biofilm Control)

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Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Biocide Potentiation Using Cinnamic Phytochemicals and Derivatives

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Molecules 2019, 24(21), 3918; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24213918 - 30 Oct 2019

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2328

Abstract

Surface disinfection is of utmost importance in the prevention of bacterial infections. This study aims to assess the ability of ten phytochemicals and related derivatives as potentiators of two commonly used biocides—cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and lactic acid (LA). LA in combination with cinnamic, hydrocinnamic, α-methylcinnamic, and α-fluorocinnamic acids had a factional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) ≤ 1 for Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Several phytochemicals/derivatives in combination with biocides improved the biocidal efficacy against early sessile bacteria. The most effective combination was LA with allyl cinnamate (2.98 ± 0.76 log CFU·cm⁻² reduction) against E. coli. The combination with CTAB was successful for most phytochemicals/derivatives with a maximum bactericidal efficacy against sessile E. coli when combined with allyl cinnamate (2.20 ± 0.07 log CFU·cm⁻² reduction) and for S. aureus when combined with α-methylcinnamic acid (1.68 ± 0.30 log CFU·cm⁻² reduction). This study highlights the potential of phytochemicals and their derivatives to be used in biocide formulations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biofilm Control)

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Open AccessArticle

The Antibiofilm Effect of a Medical Device Containing TIAB on Microorganisms Associated with Surgical Site Infection

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Molecules 2019, 24(12), 2280; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24122280 - 19 Jun 2019

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3291

Abstract

Surgical site infections (SSIs) represent the most common nosocomial infections, and surgical sutures are optimal surfaces for bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation. Staphylococcus spp., Enterococcus spp., and Escherichia coli are the most commonly isolated microorganisms. The aim of this research was to evaluate the antibiofilm activity of a medical device (MD) containing TIAB, which is a silver-nanotech patented product. The antibacterial effect was evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, and E. coli ATCC 25922 by assessing the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) by the Alamar Blue^® (AB) assay. The antibiofilm effect was determined by evaluation of the minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC) and colony-forming unit (CFU) count. Subsequently, the MD was applied on sutures exposed to the bacterial species. The antimicrobial and antibiofilm effects were evaluated by the agar diffusion test method, confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The MIC was determined for S. aureus and E. faecalis at 2 mg/mL, while the MBIC was 1.5 mg/mL for S. aureus and 1 mg/mL for E. faecalis. The formation of an inhibition zone around three different treated sutures confirmed the antimicrobial activity, while the SEM and CLSM analysis performed on the MD-treated sutures underlined the presence of a few adhesive cells, which were for the most part dead. The MD showed antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities versus S. aureus and E. faecalis, but a lower efficacy against E. coli. Surgical sutures coated with the MD have the potential to reduce SSIs as well as the risk of biofilm formation post-surgery. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biofilm Control)

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