Rhamnolipids as a Tool for Eradication of Trichosporon cutaneum Biofilm

Abstract

Microbial biofilms formed by pathogenic and antibiotic-resistant microorganisms represent a serious threat for public health in medicine and many industrial branches. Biofilms are involved in many persistent and chronic infections, the biofouling of water and food contamination. Therefore, current research is involved in the development of new treatment strategies. Biofilm is a complex system, and thus all aspects of the measurement and monitoring of its growth and eradication in various conditions, including static and dynamic flow, are issues of great importance. The antibiofilm character of rhamnolipid mixtures produced by four Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains was studied under different conditions. For this purpose, the biofilm of opportunistic pathogen Trichosporon cutaneum was used and treated under static conditions (microscope glass coverslip in a Petri dish) and under dynamic conditions (a single-channel flow cell). The results show that the biological activity of rhamnolipids depends both on their properties and on the conditions of the biofilm formation. Therefore, this aspect must be taken into account when planning the experimental or application design.