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5-Hydroxymethylfurfural inhibits Acinetobacter baumannii biofilms: an in vitro study

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Abstract

The present study was aimed to investigate the antibiofilm activity of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural against Acinetobacter baumanni and Vellar estuary isolates v3 (Acinetobacter nosocomialis). The biofilm inhibitory concentration (BIC) of 5HMF against A. baumannii and v3 (A. nosocomialis) was found to be 100 µg/ml) exhibited non-bactericidal concentration-dependent antibiofilm activities against Acinetobacter species. The present study found that 5HMF treatment is very effective in the initial stage of A. baumannii biofilms and it significantly disrupted the mature biofilms. Moreover, 5HMF treatment inhibited the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), including polysaccharides and proteins production. Results from gene expression and in vitro assays further demonstrated the 5HMF treatment downregulated the expression of bfmR, bap, csuA/B, ompA and katE virulence genes, which consistently affects biofilm formation and its mediated virulence property. The present study suggests that 5HMF unveil its antibiofilm activity by interfering initial biofilm formation and suppressing the virulence regulator genes in A. baumannii. Further studies are required to explore the 5HMF mode of action responsible for the antibiofilm activity.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully thank Dr. G. Ashwinkumar Subramenium and Dr. S. Muhil vannan Seralathan, PAR Life Sciences and Research Pvt Ltd for support in discussing and fulfilling the work. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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  1. Centre of Advanced Study in Marine Biology, Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu, Parangipettai, 608 502, India

    Karuppiah Vijayakumar & Ramanathan Thirunanasambandham

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  1. Karuppiah Vijayakumar
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  2. Ramanathan Thirunanasambandham
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Correspondence to Karuppiah Vijayakumar.

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Vijayakumar, K., Thirunanasambandham, R. 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural inhibits Acinetobacter baumannii biofilms: an in vitro study. Arch Microbiol 203, 673–682 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-020-02061-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-020-02061-0

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