In Vitro Antibiofilm Activity of an Exopolysaccharide from the Marine Thermophilic Bacillus licheniformis T14

The development of antibiofilm strategies is of major interest in contrasting bacterial pathogenic biofilms. A novel fructose and fucose rich exopolysaccharide (EPS1-T14) produced by the recently described thermophilic Bacillus licheniformis T14, isolated from a shallow hydrothermal vent of Panarea Island (Eolian Island, Italy), was evaluated for its effects on biofilm formation by multiresistant clinical strains of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus. The antibiofilm activity of EPS1-T14 was assessed by microtiter plate assays and visualized by confocal laser scanning microscopic images. EPS1-T14, with molecular weight of 1000 kDa, reduced biofilm formation on abiotic surfaces without affecting bacterial vitality. The novel EPS1-T14 is a water-soluble, noncytotoxic exopolymer able to prevent biofilm formation and its use may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for combating bacterial biofilm-associated infections. EPS1-T14 as antiadhesive biomolecule could be useful for novel prospective in medical and nonmedical applications.