Vanillin, a potential agent to prevent biofouling of reverse osmosis membrane

Abstract

Reverse osmosis (RO) membrane systems are widely used in water purification plants. Reduction in plant performance due to biofilm formation over the membrane is an inherent problem. As quorum sensing (QS) mechanisms of microorganisms have been reported to be involved in the formation of biofilm, ways are sought for quorum quenching (QQ) and thereby prevention of biofilm formation. In this study using a chemostat culture run for seven days in a CDC reactor it was found that a natural QQ compound, vanillin considerably suppressed bacterial biofilm formation on RO membrane. There was 97% reduction in biofilm surface coverage, when grown in the presence of vanillin. Similarly, the average thickness, total biomass and the total protein content of the biofilm that formed in the presence of vanillin were significantly less than that of the control. However vanillin had no effect on 1-day old pre-formed biofilm.

Chloroform extract of turmeric inhibits biofilm formation, EPS production and motility in antibiotic resistant bacteria

“…These results suggested that biofilms formed in the presence of a chloroform extract were loosely attached to microtiter plate surfaces and removed easily by the treatment of the surfactant, as compared with biofilms formed in the absence of chloroform extracts. This potential of biofilm inhibitors can be used in industries to remove biofilms formed on membrane filters during the treatment of water (Kappachery et al, 2010).…”

Apple Flavonoid Phloretin Inhibits Escherichia coli O157:H7 Biofilm Formation and Ameliorates Colon Inflammation in Rats

“…Phloretin has various biological functions, such as antioxidative (36), anticarcinogenic (50), and estrogenic (6) activities and inhibition of cardiovascular disease (10,41). Recently, several other flavonoids showed the ability to inhibit the biofilm formation of Streptococcus mutans (22), Aeromonas hydrophila (18), and Escherichia coli O157:H7 (48). Additionally, a transcriptome analysis demonstrated that apple polyphenols, including phloretin, possessed anti-inflammatory effects against inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) in vitro (17).…”

Antimicrobial activity of cinnamaldehyde, vanillin and <i>Kigelia Africana</i> fruit extracts against fish-associated <i>Chryseobacterium</i> and <i>Myroides</i> spp. isolates

“…isolates from both trout and tilapia (Tables 2 -3). Vanillin did not demonstrate an antimicrobial effect against the fish pathogen Aeromonas hydrophila at concentrations ranging from 63 -250 µg/ml but rather inhibited quorum sensing and biofilm development (Kappachery et al, 2010), thus attenuating its pathogenicity. Fitzgerald et al (2004) observed that vanillin had a time of exposure, concentration and speciesspecific dependency to its antimicrobial activity.…”

“…Vanillin (4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde) is a major component of natural vanilla, obtained from the bean of the tropical orchid Vanilla planifolia (Kappachery et al, 2010). The inhibitory action of vanillin on E. coli, Lactobacillus plantarum and Listeria innocua cells was due to its ability to negatively affect cell membrane integrity, which resulted in a loss of the ion gradient, pH homeostasis and an inhibition of respiration (Fitzgerald et al, 2004).…”