Dissolution of Biofilm Secreted by Three Different Strains of <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> with Bromelain, <i>N</i>-Acetylcysteine, and Their Combinations

Bacterial infection of hernia mesh with the formation of biofilms presents a barrier to antibiotic treatment with subsequent surgical intervention and hospitalization. Hence, in the current study, we examined the effect of BromAc, a mucolytic agent, on the dissolution of biofilm formed by three diff...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Carly J. Carter, Krishna Pillai, Samina Badar, Ahmed H. Mekkawy, Javed Akhter, Thomas Jefferies, Sarah J. Valle, David L. Morris
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-12-01
Series:Applied Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/23/11388
Description
Summary:Bacterial infection of hernia mesh with the formation of biofilms presents a barrier to antibiotic treatment with subsequent surgical intervention and hospitalization. Hence, in the current study, we examined the effect of BromAc, a mucolytic agent, on the dissolution of biofilm formed by three different strains of <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>. <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> was carefully grown on hernia mesh and treated with various concentrations of bromelain, NAC, and their combinations at 37 °C over 4 h in vitro. Then, the biofilm dissolution activities of the agents were evaluated. Moreover, the combination index (CI) was analyzed to determine the synergy of the bromelain and NAC combination. The results indicated that biofilms were more susceptible to degradation by bromelain, whilst NAC showed growth enhancement in two of the strains. However, in combination (BromAc), the three strains were dramatically affected by the agents, with more than 80% debridement fir a suitable combination of bromelain and NAC that was also strain-specific. Hence, the current study shows that the biofilms formed by these three strains of <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> were adversely affected by a single treatment of BromAc, with more than 80% debridement, indicating that subsequent treatment may abolish the biofilm completely.
ISSN:2076-3417