Microencapsulation of carvacrol as an efficient tool to fight Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus faecalis biofilms

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Abstract
Biofilms are involved in serious problems in medical and food sectors due to their contribution to numerous severe chronic infections and foodborne diseases. The high resistance of biofilms to antimicrobial agents makes their removal as a big challenge. In this study, spray-drying was used to develop microcapsules containing carvacrol, a natural antimicrobial agent, to enhance its activity againstP.aeruginosaandE.faecalisbiofilms. The physicochemical properties and microscopic morphology of the realized capsules and cells were characterized. The minimum inhibitory concentration of encapsulated carvacrol (E-CARV) (1.25 mg mL-1) was 4-times lower than that of free carvacrol (F-CARV) (5 mg mL-1) againstP.aeruginosa, while it remained the same againstE.faecalis(0.625 mg mL-1). E-CARV was able to reduce biofilm below the detection limit forP.aeruginosaand by 5.5 log CFU ml-1forE.faecalisafter 15 min of treatment. Results also showed that F-CARV and E-CARV destabilize the bacterial cell membrane leading to cell death. These results indicate that carvacrol exhibited a strong antimicrobial effect against both bacterial biofilms. In addition, spray-drying could be used as an effective tool to enhance the antibiofilm activity of carvacrol, while reducing the concentrations required for disinfection of abiotic surfaces.
Funding Information
  • Université Lille 1 - Sciences et Technologies

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