Effect of Medicinal Plants
on Biofilm-Forming Staphylococcus
aureus from Tertiary Health Care
Hospital and Characterization
of Biofilm-Associated Extracellular
Polymeric Substances (EPS)
Rimashree Baishya and Soma Banerjee
Abstract Biofilm formed by microorganism exhibits increased resistance to antimicrobial agents and to the host immune system due to the extracellular polymeric
substance (EPS) matrix in which the microorganisms are engrained and act as a shield
to the microbes. The present work focuses on the search of an alternative approach for
biofilm inhibition using plant products. In the present study, anti-bacterial activity of
Allium sativum (garlic), Curcuma longa (haldi), Ocimum sanctum (tulsi), Zingiber
officinale (ginger), and Azadirachta indica (neem) ethanolic extracts was studied
against 30 clinically strong biofilm-forming samples. All the strains were susceptible
to Curcuma longa, Azadirachta indica. Two plants were then selected to study the
anti-biofilm activity against the strong biofilm strain Staphylococcus aureus (QS1).
The effect of the plant extracts on biofilm adherence was studied at concentration of
128*MIC, 256*MIC, and 512*MIC. The major components of EPS were analyzed
and compared with control. SDS-PAGE analysis showed the presence of different
bands with distinct difference in the band size in the plant-treated samples. The
biofilm adherences showed a dose-dependent increase of activity with 13–40% reduction. QS1 treated with Curcuma longa and Azadirachta indica extracts resulted in
significant degradation of the EPS components. Thus, the commonly known antimicrobial plant hinders the formation of biofilm by degrading its EPS components with
its potential anti-biofilm constituents.
Keywords Antimicrobial · Biofilm · Extracellular polymeric substance ·
Staphylococcus aureus
R. Baishya (B) · S. Banerjee
Department of Biotechnology, Heritage Institute of Technology, Chowbaga Road, P.O.
Anandapur, East Kolkata Township, Kolkata, West Bengal 700107, India
e-mail: reemaorbabu@gmail.com
S. Banerjee
e-mail: soma.banerjee@heritageit.edu
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
D. Ramkrishna et al. (eds.), Advances in Bioprocess Engineering and Technology,
Lecture Notes in Bioengineering,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-7409-2_19
189
on Biofilm-Forming Staphylococcus
aureus from Tertiary Health Care
Hospital and Characterization
of Biofilm-Associated Extracellular
Polymeric Substances (EPS)
Rimashree Baishya and Soma Banerjee
Abstract Biofilm formed by microorganism exhibits increased resistance to antimicrobial agents and to the host immune system due to the extracellular polymeric
substance (EPS) matrix in which the microorganisms are engrained and act as a shield
to the microbes. The present work focuses on the search of an alternative approach for
biofilm inhibition using plant products. In the present study, anti-bacterial activity of
Allium sativum (garlic), Curcuma longa (haldi), Ocimum sanctum (tulsi), Zingiber
officinale (ginger), and Azadirachta indica (neem) ethanolic extracts was studied
against 30 clinically strong biofilm-forming samples. All the strains were susceptible
to Curcuma longa, Azadirachta indica. Two plants were then selected to study the
anti-biofilm activity against the strong biofilm strain Staphylococcus aureus (QS1).
The effect of the plant extracts on biofilm adherence was studied at concentration of
128*MIC, 256*MIC, and 512*MIC. The major components of EPS were analyzed
and compared with control. SDS-PAGE analysis showed the presence of different
bands with distinct difference in the band size in the plant-treated samples. The
biofilm adherences showed a dose-dependent increase of activity with 13–40% reduction. QS1 treated with Curcuma longa and Azadirachta indica extracts resulted in
significant degradation of the EPS components. Thus, the commonly known antimicrobial plant hinders the formation of biofilm by degrading its EPS components with
its potential anti-biofilm constituents.
Keywords Antimicrobial · Biofilm · Extracellular polymeric substance ·
Staphylococcus aureus
R. Baishya (B) · S. Banerjee
Department of Biotechnology, Heritage Institute of Technology, Chowbaga Road, P.O.
Anandapur, East Kolkata Township, Kolkata, West Bengal 700107, India
e-mail: reemaorbabu@gmail.com
S. Banerjee
e-mail: soma.banerjee@heritageit.edu
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
D. Ramkrishna et al. (eds.), Advances in Bioprocess Engineering and Technology,
Lecture Notes in Bioengineering,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-7409-2_19
189