Biofilms are structured communities of bacterial cells enclosed in a self-produced polymeric matrix and attached to biotic or abiotic surfaces. Production of biofilms is a universal strategy adopted by bacteria to increase their survival chances against harsh environment including physical and chemical antimicrobial treatments.
In dairy industries, P. aeruginosa, classified as spoilage bacteria, can colonize different materials and equipment such as tanks, pipes, pumps and contact surfaces. This can pose challenges in terms of controlling microbiological contamination. Indeed, this bacterium can form resistant biofilms, which makes their elimination difficult and promotes their persistence in the industrial environment.
This study focuses on the influence of carbon source, surface type, temperature and contact time on biofilm formation. The objective was to evaluate the ability of three strains of P. aeruginosa to form biofilms in the presence of different sugars (lactose, glucose and galactose), on different types of surface (PVC and Teflon) at different temperatures (25, 30 and 40°C). The methodology involved incubating strains with various concentrations of sugars (0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, and 2.5%) and assessing biofilm formation at specific time intervals (24, 48 and 72).
The results show that sugars have variable effects on biofilm formation, depending on the strain and incubation time. Glucose promoted high initial biofilm formation (OD=1.64). After 72 h, glucose became the most significant inducer of biofilms for all strains. Additionally, our research demonstrated the ability of the strains studied to form biofilms on Teflon surfaces.
In conclusion, the values obtained indicate that certain combinations of sugars, temperatures and incubation times particularly favour the formation of biofilms by the P. aeruginosa strains studied, highlighting the need for rigorous control of these parameters in dairy industries. Understanding these interactions will help to develop control strategies to maintain food quality and safety in such industry.
