Campylobacter Biofilms: Potential of Natural Compounds to Disrupt Campylobacter jejuni Transmission

Abstract

Microbial biofilms occur naturally in many environmental niches and can be a significant reservoir of infectious microbes in zoonotically transmitted diseases such as that caused by Campylobacter jejuni, the leading cause of acute human bacterial gastroenteritis world-wide. The greatest challenge in reducing the disease caused by this organism is reducing transmission of C. jejuni to humans from poultry via the food chain. Biofilms enhance the stress tolerance and antimicrobial resistance of the microorganisms they harbor and are considered to play a crucial role for Campylobacter spp. survival and transmission to humans. Unconventional approaches to control biofilms and to improve the efficacy of currently used antibiotics are urgently needed. This review summarizes the use plant- and microorganism-derived antimicrobial and antibiofilm compounds such as essential oils, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), polyphenolic extracts, algae extracts, probiotic-derived factors, d-amino acids (DAs) and glycolipid biosurfactants with potential to control biofilms formed by Campylobacter, and the suggested mechanisms of their action. Further investigation and use of such natural compounds could improve preventative and remedial strategies aimed to limit the transmission of campylobacters and other human pathogens via the food chain.

Campylobacter jejuni Biofilm Control with Lavandin Essential Oils and By-Products

“…Microbial biofilms are the predominant form of bacterial lifestyle in industrial environments and protect bacteria from physical trauma, desiccation, and antimicrobial agents [ 1 ]. Numerous reports have found that food-borne pathogens persist on food contact surfaces (e.g., plastic, steel, glass, rubber, and wood) in the form of biofilms and affect the quality, quantity, and safety of food products.…”

Akkermansia and the microbial metabolites butyric acid and deoxycholic acid play key roles in fecal microbiota transplantation for the treatment of campylobacteriosis in mice

“…Therefore, there is a need to nd an antibiotic-free way to treat (or prevent) diseases caused by C. jejuni in livestock, poultry and humans. Some studies have suggested possible solutions to this problem: the search for a new type of probiotic that could increase the resistance of the intestine to colonization by pathogenic bacteria [10] or a class of substances with natural antimicrobial activity or that could increase the resistance of the animal organism to pathogens [11] . In this context, we are naturally reminded of FMT.…”

Arcobacter butzleri Biofilms: Insights into the Genes Beneath Their Formation

“…The transmission of the species of the genus Arcobacter through the food chain seems to be favored by their ability to form biofilms [ 14 , 15 , 16 ]. Many food-related pathogens such as Aeromonas spp., Salmonella Typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus , Listeria monocytogenes , L. ivanovii , Escherichia coli , Bacillus cereus , Cronobacter sakazakii , C. muytjensii , A. butzleri , A. cryaerophilus , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Klebsiella pneumoniae , Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli can produce these resistance structures conformed by cells and extracellular compounds [ 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ]. The biofilm formation ability of Arcobacter species on different surfaces has also been documented [ 5 , 25 ], and it has become apparent that there is a notorious variability of the adherence level among strains of the same species.…”

“…Due to the difficulty of eradicating biofilms and the rapidity with which A. butzleri develops them, preventing their formation is vital to control the spread of this foodborne pathogen [ 25 ]. Moreover, some authors referred that these structures could also contribute to the increase in antimicrobial resistance of A. butzleri since biofilm growth favors resistance gene transmission [ 24 ].…”