ENZYMATIC DEGRADATION OF E. COLI BIOFILMS BY S. AUREUS EXTRACTED ENZYMES: A PROMISING APPROACH FOR BIOFILM DISRUPTION

Abstract

Biofilms are complex communities of microorganisms encased within a matrix of extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) that they produce. These biofilms consist of microbial cells adhering to each other and to surfaces, whether living or non-living. Bacterial biofilms, in particular, are often associated with pathogenicity and can lead to nosocomial infections. In this study, we collected twenty samples from the industrial state of Hayatabad and employed pure culturing techniques along with biochemical tests to isolate and identify various bacterial species. The identified species included E. coli, S. aureus, Salmonella, Shigella, P. aeruginosa, Yersinia enterocolitis, Providencia, P. mirabilis, and B. subtilis. For our investigation into biofilm formation and degradation, we chose E. coli as the target bacterium and extracted enzymes from S. aureus. To assess biofilm formation, we utilized the microtiter plate assay. The optical density (OD) measurements for the control group were 1.749, and for replicate 1, they were 1.698 when treated with 20 μL of protease enzymes. For replicate 2, treated with 30 μL of enzymes, the OD was 1.582, and for replicate 3, treated with 50 μL of enzymes, the OD was 0.89. Our findings suggest that enzymatic treatment is a promising method for degrading biofilms, as evidenced by the substantial reduction in OD measurements. This research paves the way for further studies on a larger scale, focusing on the isolation and degradation of biofilms using enzymes. Understanding the potential of enzymatic degradation could lead to innovative strategies for combating biofilm-related infections.