147
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to
Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
H. Panwar et al. (eds.), Sustainable Agriculture Reviews 46, Sustainable
Agriculture Reviews 46, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53024-2_7
Chapter 7
Control of Bacterial Biofilms for Mitigating
Antimicrobial Resistance
Brij Pal Singh, Sougata Ghosh, and Ashwini Chauhan
Abstract Antimicrobial resistance is a significant global issue across countries
irrespective of the level of income and imposes a significant health and financial
burden. Naturally, microorganisms become resistant when exposed to antimicrobial
drugs, and overuse of antibiotics is a primary driver contributing to their increased
prevalence. But when bacteria are attached to a surface and expand as a biofilm,
they become more resistant to antimicrobials as they are embedded in a slimy extracellular polymeric substance as a single or multiple bacterial species. Thus, bacteria
within a biofilm are protected from killing by antibiotics, biocides, and other chemical or physical challenges. Biofilms often contaminate the medical devices and food
industrial equipment leading to associated infections and food spoilage, respectively. Therefore, warranting a need for novel agents and effective approach against
drug resistant biofilms.
Here we present innovative strategies to control and eradicate bacterial biofilms
unlike the conventional antibiotic therapies. The review introduces the basics of biofilm development from a planktonic bacterium, the role of bacterial motility, structural
components, and exopolysaccharides. Furthermore, signaling in biofilm, its association with antimicrobial resistance and how inhibition of biofilm signaling, using quorum sensing inhibitors molecules such as phytocompounds, signaling molecule
analogues and RNA III - inhibiting peptide, can be exploited are discussed. Present
review also deliberated the role of ultrasound and acidic electrolyzed water to disrupt
biofilms from medical devices and food industry equipment. Besides we also reviewed
the enzymatic and combination killing approaches used to remove biofilms. In the
end, some emerging approaches like bacteriophage mediated disruption of biofilms
and the role of nanomedicine to control bacterial biofilms are discussed.
B. P. Singh (*)
Department of Microbiology, School of Science, RK University, Rajkot, Gujarat, India
S. Ghosh
Department of Microbiology, School of Science, RK University, Rajkot, Gujarat, India
Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
A. Chauhan
Department of Microbiology, Tripura University, Suryamaninagar, Tripura, India
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to
Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
H. Panwar et al. (eds.), Sustainable Agriculture Reviews 46, Sustainable
Agriculture Reviews 46, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53024-2_7
Chapter 7
Control of Bacterial Biofilms for Mitigating
Antimicrobial Resistance
Brij Pal Singh, Sougata Ghosh, and Ashwini Chauhan
Abstract Antimicrobial resistance is a significant global issue across countries
irrespective of the level of income and imposes a significant health and financial
burden. Naturally, microorganisms become resistant when exposed to antimicrobial
drugs, and overuse of antibiotics is a primary driver contributing to their increased
prevalence. But when bacteria are attached to a surface and expand as a biofilm,
they become more resistant to antimicrobials as they are embedded in a slimy extracellular polymeric substance as a single or multiple bacterial species. Thus, bacteria
within a biofilm are protected from killing by antibiotics, biocides, and other chemical or physical challenges. Biofilms often contaminate the medical devices and food
industrial equipment leading to associated infections and food spoilage, respectively. Therefore, warranting a need for novel agents and effective approach against
drug resistant biofilms.
Here we present innovative strategies to control and eradicate bacterial biofilms
unlike the conventional antibiotic therapies. The review introduces the basics of biofilm development from a planktonic bacterium, the role of bacterial motility, structural
components, and exopolysaccharides. Furthermore, signaling in biofilm, its association with antimicrobial resistance and how inhibition of biofilm signaling, using quorum sensing inhibitors molecules such as phytocompounds, signaling molecule
analogues and RNA III - inhibiting peptide, can be exploited are discussed. Present
review also deliberated the role of ultrasound and acidic electrolyzed water to disrupt
biofilms from medical devices and food industry equipment. Besides we also reviewed
the enzymatic and combination killing approaches used to remove biofilms. In the
end, some emerging approaches like bacteriophage mediated disruption of biofilms
and the role of nanomedicine to control bacterial biofilms are discussed.
B. P. Singh (*)
Department of Microbiology, School of Science, RK University, Rajkot, Gujarat, India
S. Ghosh
Department of Microbiology, School of Science, RK University, Rajkot, Gujarat, India
Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
A. Chauhan
Department of Microbiology, Tripura University, Suryamaninagar, Tripura, India