Effects of lipopeptide biosurfactants on clinical strains of Malassezia furfur growth and biofilm formation

Abstract

Lipopeptide biosurfactants (LBs) are biological molecules with low toxicity that have aroused growing interest in the pharmaceutical industry. Their chemical structure confers antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties against different species. Despite their potential, few studies have demonstrated their capability against Malassezia spp., commensal yeasts which can cause dermatitis and serious infections. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the antifungal activity of biosurfactants produced by new strains of Bacillus subtilis TIM10 and B. vallismortis TIM68 against M. furfur and their potential for removal and inhibition of yeast biofilms. Biosurfactants were classified as lipopeptides by FTIR, and their composition was characterised by ESI-Q-TOF/MS, showing ions for iturin, fengycin, and surfactin, with a greater abundance of surfactin. Through the broth microdilution method, both biosurfactants inhibited the growth of clinical M. furfur strains. Biosurfactant TIM10 showed greater capacity for growth inhibition, with no statistical difference compared to those obtained by the commercial antifungal fluconazole for M. furfur 153DR5 and 154DR8 strains. At minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC-2), TIM10 and TIM68 were able to inhibit biofilm formation, especially TIM10, with an inhibition rate of approximately 90%. In addition, both biosurfactants were able to remove pre-formed biofilm. Both biosurfactants showed no toxicity against murine fibroblasts, even at concentrations above MIC-2. Our results show the effectiveness of LBs in controlling the growth and biofilm formation of M. furfur clinical strains and highlight the potential of these agents to compose new formulations for the treatment of these fungi.

Microbial biosurfactant based nanoemulsions and their applications: A review

“…Both of these types of mBS are known to exhibit antibacterial and antifungal activities against several microorganisms, including Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Escherichia coli , Salmonella paratyphi , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Vibrio parahaemolyticus, V. cholerae, Staphylococcus epidermidis , Streptococcus agalactiae, Enterococcus faecalis , S. aureus, Candida albicans , Candida utilis, Cryptococcus neoformans, Malassezia furfur , and Aspergillus niger (Chen et al, 2017; da Silva et al, 2021; Ganesan & Rangarajan, 2023; Khademolhosseini, Jafari, Mousavi, Hajfarajollah, et al, 2019; Kiran et al, 2014; Mani et al, 2016; Ohadi, Forootanfar, et al, 2020; Souza et al, 2017). They have also been reported to inhibit adhesion and biofilm formation on surfaces for various pathogens, including drug‐resistant strains (da Silva et al, 2021; Kiran et al, 2017; Kuiper et al, 2004). Additionally, glycolipid‐based mBS have been used as microbial growth inhibitors to control the biocorrosion of carbon steel (Parthipan et al, 2018).…”

Surface-Active Compounds Produced by Microorganisms: Promising Molecules for the Development of Antimicrobial, Anti-Inflammatory, and Healing Agents

“…vaginal exhibited strong antiadhesive activity (up to 74.4%) against the biofilm producer C. albicans [ 67 ]. Mixed lipopeptides (iturin, fengycin, and surfactin) with higher surfactin content produced by B. subtilis TIM10 and B. vallismortis TIM68 inhibited the biofilm formation of Malassezia spp., especially TIM10, by about 90% [ 127 ].…”