Biofilm Formation by Microorganisms Isolated from Paper Mill Effluent and its Public Health Implications |
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| Authors: | Priyanka Lal Vishnu Agarwal Parul Pruthi Swaranjit Singh Cameotra Vikas Pruthi |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, India.;2. HAPPRC, H.N.B. Garhwal University, Srinagar, Garhwal, India.;3. MTCC & Gene Bank, An IDA, Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh, India. |
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| Abstract: | The microbiological assessment of biofilm formation from paper mill effluent discharged through a pipeline revealed a maximum microbial count for Pseudomonas (5·106 cfu/mL) followed by Staphylococcus (4·106 cfu/mL), Bacillus (8.2·105 cfu/mL), Burkholderia (7.2·105 cfu/mL), Enterobacter (5.3·104 cfu/mL), Acinetobacter (4.1·103 cfu/mL), Alcaligenes (1.2·102 cfu/mL) and Klebsiella (0.8·102 cfu/mL) species. Among these species, the maximum biofilm formation was observed after 24 h of incubation by Pseudomonas sp. using a crystal violet (CV) assay. This isolate was later identified by 16S rRNA amplification to be Pseudomonas aeruginosa PME1. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of P. aeruginosa PME1 in the biofilm showed a reduction in total carbohydrate content (42%) with increased protein (9.0%), hexosamine (3.0%) and uronic acid (1.7%) content as compared to its planktonic form. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed that P. aeruginosa PME1 biofilms were 17, 24, 27, 30, and 32 times more resistant to cefotaxime, imipenem, ceftazidime, tazobactam and piperacillin, respectively, than their free flowing counterparts. |
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| Keywords: | Antimicrobial Biofilm Crystal violet Extracellular polymeric substances Planktonic cells |
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