Biofilms are highly resistant to external forces, especially chemicals. Hence, alternative control strategies, like antimicrobial substances, are forced. Antimicrobial surfaces can inhibit and reduce microbial adhesion to surfaces, preventing biofilm formation. Thus, this research aimed to investigate the bacterial attachment and biofilm formation on different sealants and stainless steel (SS) surfaces with or without antimicrobials on two Gram-positive biofilm forming bacterial strains. Antimicrobial surfaces were either incorporated or coated with anti-microbial, -fungal or/and bactericidal agents. Attachment (after 3 h) and early-stage biofilm formation (after 48 h) of Staphylococcus capitis (S. capitis) and Microbacterium lacticum (M. lacticum) onto different surfaces were assessed using the plate count method. In general, bacterial adhesion on sealants was lower compared to adhesion on SS, for surfaces with and without antimicrobials. Antimicrobial coatings on SS surfaces played a role in reducing early-stage biofilm formation for S. capitis, however, no effects were observed for M. lacticum. S. capitis adhesion and biofilm formation were reduced by 8% and 25%, respectively, on SS coated with an antimicrobial substance (SS_4_M), compared to the same surface without the antimicrobial coating (SS_4_control). Incorporation of both antifungicidal and bactericidal agents (S_5_FB) significantly reduced (p ≤ 0.05) early-stage biofilm formation of M. lacticum, compared to the other sealants incoportating either solely antifungal agents (S_2_F) or no active compound (S_control). Furthermore, the thickness of the coating layer correlated weakly with the antimicrobial effect. Hence, equipment manufacturers and food producers should carefully select antimicrobial surfaces as their effects on bacterial adhesion and early-stage biofilm formation depend on the active agent and bacterial species.
Keywords: antimicrobial agent; biofilm; food hygiene; gram-positive bacteria; sealant; stainless steel.