Abstract
Biofilm is the self-synthesized, mucus-like extracellular polymeric matrix that acts as a key virulence factor in various pathogenic microorganisms, thereby posing a serious threat to human health. It has been estimated that around 80% of hospital-acquired infections are associated with biofilms which are found to be present on both biotic and abiotic surfaces. Antibiotics, the current mainstream treatment strategy for biofilms are often found to be futile in the eradication of these complex structures, and to date, there is no effective therapeutic strategy established against biofilm infections. In this regard, nanotechnology can provide a potential platform for the alleviation of this problem owing to its unique size-dependent properties. Accordingly, various novel strategies are being developed for the synthesis of different types of nanoparticles. Bio-nanotechnology is a division of nanotechnology which is gaining significant attention due to its ability to synthesize nanoparticles of various compositions and sizes using biotic sources. It utilizes the rich biodiversity of various biological components which are biocompatible for the synthesis of nanoparticles. Additionally, the biogenic nanoparticles are eco-friendly, cost-effective, and relatively less toxic when compared to chemically or physically synthesized alternatives. Biogenic synthesis of nanoparticles is a bottom-top methodology in which the nanoparticles are formed due to the presence of biological components (plant extract and microbial enzymes) which act as stabilizing and reducing agents. These biosynthesized nanoparticles exhibit anti-biofilm activity via various mechanisms such as ROS production, inhibiting quorum sensing, inhibiting EPS production, etc. This review will provide an insight into the application of various biogenic sources for nanoparticle synthesis. Furthermore, we have highlighted the potential of phytosynthesized nanoparticles as a promising antibiofilm agent as well as elucidated their antibacterial and antibiofilm mechanism.
Highlights
The discussion regarding biofilms was first initiated in the 17th century by Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek when he reported the presence of microbial aggregates in the plaque scraped from his teeth (Gebreyohannes et al, 2019)
Biofilm can be defined as “A microbially derived sessile community characterized by cells that are irreversibly attached to a substratum or interface or to each other are embedded in a matrix of extracellular polymeric substances that they have produced, and exhibit an altered phenotype with respect to growth rate and gene transcription” (Gebreyohannes et al, 2019)
Altaf et al found that biosynthesized cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2-NPs) prepared using Acorus calamus extract prevented the growth of bacterial biofilms by more than 75 percent
Summary
The discussion regarding biofilms was first initiated in the 17th century by Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek when he reported the presence of microbial aggregates in the plaque scraped from his teeth (Gebreyohannes et al, 2019). A wide range of microorganisms which include Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Propionibacterium acnes, Enterococcus, Escherichia coli, Candida species, and yeasts, is known to infect different cardiac implants such as pacemakers, defibrillator, prosthetic valves, coronary artery bypass grafts, which gradually forms denser biofilms in vivo as compared to in vitro (Viola and Darouiche, 2011) These cardiac devices associated with biofilms lowers the rate of blood flow and promote hematogenous spread thereby infecting and developing biofilms in other organs (Bosio et al, 2012). Damage to the bones supporting the teeth, and occasional tooth loss are the common characteristics of this infection (Guiglia et al, 2010) It is caused by biofilm-forming bacteria such as P. aerobicus and Fusobacterium nucleatum which colonize the teeth surface followed by mucosal cell invasion (Jamal et al, 2018). Aerobic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are generally isolated from the surface of chronic wounds whereas anaerobic bacteria such as Bacteroides sp., Clostridium sp., Peptostreptococcus sp., and Fusobacterium sp. are generally found in deeper tissue (Percival et al, 2012)
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