Abstract
In this study, the potential of certain lactic acid bacteria—classified as probiotics and known to be antimicrobially active against pathogens or food-poisoning microorganisms—was evaluated with respect to their activity against bacterial skin pathogens. The aim of the study was to develop a plaster/bandage for the application of inhibitory substances produced by these probiotics when applied to diseased skin. For this purpose, two Streptococcus salivarius strains and one Lactobacillus plantarum were tested for production of antimicrobials (bacteriocin-like substances) active against Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens using established methods. A newly designed membrane test ensured that the probiotics produce antimicrobials diffusible through membranes. Target organisms used were Cutibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Moreover, the L. plantarum 8P-A3 strain was tested against additional bacteria involved in skin disorders. The Lactobacillales used were active against all potential skin pathogens tested. These probiotics could be enclosed between polymer membranes—one tight, the other permeable for their products, preserved by vacuum drying, and reactivated after at least three months storage. Importantly, the reactivated pads containing the probiotics demonstrated antibacterial activity on agar plates against all pathogens tested. This suggests that the probiotic containing pads may be topically applied for the treatment of skin disorders without the need for a regular antibiotic treatment or as an adjunctive therapy.
Highlights
The worldwide rising problem of antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens [1, 2] calls for searches for alternative and/or adjunctive ways of antimicrobial therapy [3,4,5,6,7]
The employment of probiotic bacteria producing bacteriocin-like substances for topical application onto the skin to treat skin disorders associated with bacterial pathogens might be an alternative to the topical or systemic use of antibiotics or the application of antiseptics [10, 11]
L. plantarum 8P-A3 containing pads were tested against selected strains from culture collections and clinical isolates—some multi-resistant—of Acinetobacter baumannii, C. acnes, Enterococcus faecalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and S. epidermidis
Summary
The worldwide rising problem of antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens [1, 2] calls for searches for alternative and/or adjunctive ways of antimicrobial therapy [3,4,5,6,7]. The employment of probiotic bacteria producing bacteriocin-like substances for topical application onto the skin to treat skin disorders associated with bacterial pathogens might be an alternative to the topical or systemic use of antibiotics or the application of antiseptics [10, 11]. Probiotics from different bacterial taxonomic units have been described to be applied for treatment or prevention of diseases directly onto surfaces of the human body, e.g., the oral cavity or the skin. Examples for this are the application of Streptococcus salivarius subsp. Other probiotics are considered or already on the market to
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