Immobilization of proteases on chitosan for the development of films with anti-biofilm properties

Abstract

Bacterial resistance due to biofilm formation-particularly Staphylococci biofilms-is associated with multiple problems in medical settings where biofilms can colonize medical indwelling devices and cause nosocomial infections. It was against this backdrop that we explored the anti-biofilm activities of a set of proteases against biofilm formation by Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The selected screened enzymes were immobilized on chitosan to obtain films with anti-biofilm activities. Immobilization efficiency was about 94% for protease from Bacillus licheniformis and reached up to 96% for Neutrase. In vitro assays performed in brain heart infusion (BHI) broth using the Biofilm Ring Test highlighted that immobilized enzymes were efficient against biofilms of Staphylococci cultures, especially protease from B. licheniformis and Neutrase from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.

Keywords: Bacterial adhesion; Biofilm; Chitosan; Fouling; Polysaccharides; Protease.