Biofilm production by coagulase-negative Staphylococcus: a review

Abstract

This review aimed to describe the biofilm formation ability of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, addressing its impact to the food industry. Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus have the ability to produce enterotoxins in food, making it an important line of study, as it constitutes a risk to public health. The biofilm formation by these microorganisms requires physicochemical processes, such as hydrophobic forces, which are essential for the first phase of fixing the biofilm on the surface. In industrial facilities, stainless steel equipment is the most associated with the formation of biofilms, due to the presence grooves and cracks. Many species of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus produce biofilm, but the most studied is S. epidermidis, as it is the most frequently isolated from food. Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus form biofilm on different surfaces in the food industry, and can become a source of permanent contamination, that can be present in the final product, intended for human consumption. Among other alternatives to combat the formation of biofilm in industrial food facilities, there is the implementation of Good Manufacturing Practices, which is effective in preventing bacterial adhesion, and therefore, the formation of biofilm. However, further studies are needed in order to quantify the occurrence of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus biofilms in the food industry.

Molecular Analysis of Pathogenicity, Adhesive Matrix Molecules (MSCRAMMs) and Biofilm Genes of Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci Isolated from Ready-to-Eat Food

“…The ability to form a biofilm is one of the most important virulence factors in staphylococci [40]. In the present study, the majority (62.4%) of the CoNS strains isolated from RTE food were capable of forming a biofilm, and 41.7% were classified as strong or moderate biofilm producers.…”

Snapshot of resistance and virulence features in ESCAPE strains frequently isolated from surgical wound infections in a Romanian hospital

“…These results could suggest that the Gram-negative strains are more capable to form biofilm both on cellular and inert substrata, as compared to Gram-positive bacteria, which are more probably to colonize the inert substrata and therefore to produce medical device-associated biofilm infections. This conclusion is supported by different studies showing that the Gram-positive bacteria, and especially S. aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci, are mostly involved in the aetiology of these infections (27)(28)(29).…”