Biofilm Threat for Food Industry: An Approach for Its Elimination Using Herbal Food Components

Abstract

Biofilm formation is an alliance of microorganisms in which microbial cells constitute an alternative lifestyle and embrace a multicellular behavior that facilitates and/or prolongs survival in adverse environmental niches. In nature, biofilms are present everywhere, and they can be found in places like waste water channels, labs, bathrooms, industrial places, and hospital settings and frequently occur on hard surfaces that are immersed in or exposed to an aqueous solution. It can also be formed as buoyant on surface of liquid; biofilm formation comprises a substitute lifestyle in which microorganisms espouse a multicellular behavior that smooth the way and/or promote prolong survival in diverse environmental niches. Cells in a bacterial biofilm communicate via quorum sensing which is a multistep process that starts with the attachment of cells to a surface and then formation of microcolony that further leads to the formation of three-dimensional structure and finally ending with maturation followed by dispersion or detachment. According to National Institutes of Health (NIH), about 65% of all microbial infections and 80% of all chronic infections are associated with biofilms. Bacterial biofilm is less attainable to antibiotics and human immune system and thus gives rise to ultimatum to public health because of its participation in variety of infectious diseases. A greater understanding of steps leading to biofilm formation on surfaces and within eukaryotic cells, pointing several medically important pathogens, for the development of novel, effective control strategies aimed at biofilm prevention and/or elimination.