Pornanong Aramwit1, Supamas Napavichayanum1, Prompong Pienpinijtham2, Yousef Rasmi3, Nipaporn Bang1. 1. Bioactive Resources for Innovative Clinical Applications Research Unit and Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Phatumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand. 2. Sensor Research Unit, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Phatumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand. 3. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential of sericin extracted by different methods to inhibit biofilm formation (prevention) and disrupt already formed biofilm (treatment). METHOD: In this in vitro study, sericin was extracted by heat, acid, alkali and urea. Streptococcus mutans bacteria were cultivated in the presence of various concentrations of sericin to evaluate antibiofilm formation using cell density assay (inhibition effect before biofilm formed). Conversely, various concentrations of sericin were added to a biofilm already formed by Streptococcus mutans bacteria, and the viability of bacteria assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay (disruption effects after biofilm formed). Structures of extracted sericin were evaluated using circular dichroism and Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer. RESULTS: The urea-extracted sericin at all concentrations (12.5mg/ml, 25mg/ml, 50mg/ml and 100mg/ml) showed the highest potential antibiofilm activity in terms of both inhibition and disruption effects, compared with sericin extracted by heat, acid or alkali. The heat-extracted and acid-extracted sericin were found to reduce the biofilm formation dose-dependently, while the alkali-extracted sericin did not show either inhibition or disruption effect on the bacterial biofilm. The urea-extracted sericin also killed the bacteria residing within the biofilm, possibly due to its modified structure which may destabilise the bacterial cell wall, leading to membrane disintegration and, finally, cell death. CONCLUSION: Our results demostrated the antibiofilm activity of sericin. This could form the basis of further research on the mechanism and application of sericin as a novel antibiofilm agent.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential of sericin extracted by different methods to inhibit biofilm formation (prevention) and disrupt already formed biofilm (treatment). METHOD: In this in vitro study, sericin was extracted by heat, acid, alkali and urea. Streptococcus mutans bacteria were cultivated in the presence of various concentrations of sericin to evaluate antibiofilm formation using cell density assay (inhibition effect before biofilm formed). Conversely, various concentrations of sericin were added to a biofilm already formed by Streptococcus mutans bacteria, and the viability of bacteria assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay (disruption effects after biofilm formed). Structures of extracted sericin were evaluated using circular dichroism and Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer. RESULTS: The urea-extracted sericin at all concentrations (12.5mg/ml, 25mg/ml, 50mg/ml and 100mg/ml) showed the highest potential antibiofilm activity in terms of both inhibition and disruption effects, compared with sericin extracted by heat, acid or alkali. The heat-extracted and acid-extracted sericin were found to reduce the biofilm formation dose-dependently, while the alkali-extracted sericin did not show either inhibition or disruption effect on the bacterial biofilm. The urea-extracted sericin also killed the bacteria residing within the biofilm, possibly due to its modified structure which may destabilise the bacterial cell wall, leading to membrane disintegration and, finally, cell death. CONCLUSION: Our results demostrated the antibiofilm activity of sericin. This could form the basis of further research on the mechanism and application of sericin as a novel antibiofilm agent.