Bacterial surfactants as agents with antibiofilm activity

Abstract

Biosuragents are a heterogeneous group of biological surface-active amphiphilic compounds. The producers of biosurfactants are various microorganisms: bacteria and fungi. The class of biosurfactants consists of two groups: low molecular weight and high molecular weight compounds. Representatives of low molecular weight compounds are lipopeptides, glycolipids, fatty acids, phospholipids that reduce surface and interfacial tension, and high molecular weight compounds are polymer and dispersed biosurfactants, which are emulsion stabilizers. The most studied biosurfactants with the potential of drugs are lipopeptides and glycolipids. A subgroup of lipopeptides are polymyxins, pseudo-factins, putisolvins, surfactin, fengycin and others; and glycoli­pids — rhamnolipids, trehalose, sophorose, cellobiose, mannosileritritol lipids, and others. Biosurfactants play a key role in the life of biofilms: they regulate the adhesion of bacteria and biofilm matrix, support the functioning of the matrix channels, providing the nutrient needs of bacteria. It has also been shown that biosurfactants are involved in the formation and dispersion of formed biofilms. These substances, directly reacting with the components of the matrix, induce degradation of the biofilm. Biosurfing agents, possessing antimicrobial, antifungal and antiviral, and antitumor properties, are a promising class of compounds that, possessing a combination of antibacterial and antibiofilm action, open up new perspectives in the treatment of recurrent chronic infectious di­seases. It is believed that surface-active compounds, both representatives of lipopeptides and glycolipids, can be the molecular basis for the development of drugs that will enhance the effectiveness of antibiotic therapy for problem infections, especially those caused by antibiotic-resistant strains.

Keywords

• bacterial biofilms, dispersion, biosurfagents