Novel Options to Counteract Oral Biofilm Formation: In Vitro Evidence

Abstract

Biofilm production on biotic and abiotic surfaces is crucial in the pathogenesis of most infections, particularly those occurring in the oral cavity. Its prevention and/or control may greatly facilitate the management of patients with oral diseases. Here, the antibiofilm activity of a biomimetic hydroxyapatite and a natural compound, MicroRepair (MicroR) and pomegranate (PomeGr), respectively, was assessed. By luminescence/fluorescence-based assays, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Candida albicans (C. albicans) were tested for biofilm production in the presence of MicroR and/or PomeGr. We found that both MicroR and PomeGr could affected biofilm production; however, the efficacy of the two, given alone or in combination, varied according to the microbial agent considered. These data open to clinical studies aimed at defining the most efficacious protocols to counteract oral biofilm-associated infections.

Keywords: MicroRepair; antimicrobial compounds; biomimetic hydroxyapatite; microbial biofilm; pomegranate extract.

Figure 1

Antibiofilm efficacy of MicroR and/or PomeGr against P. aeruginosa, S. aureus and C. albicans. The microorganisms (10⁶/mL) were exposed to MicroR (4.7 mg/mL) or PomeGr (5.6%) or both and incubated at 37 °C for 24 h; then, biofilm was quantified by luminescence or fluorescence analysis, as detailed elsewhere. The data are the mean ± standard deviation of 6 to 9 determinations from 3 to 4 experiments. Statistical analysis was performed by using GraphPad Prism 8 software. The asterisks indicate statistically significant differences of medium vs. treated samples (* p = 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001 and **** p < 0.0001).