Abstract:

Biofilm-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) and Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) pose a significant risk to patients due to their enhanced resistance to antibiotics and the immune response. Studies show that preventing the generation of virulence factors and the formation of biofilms can mitigate the pathogenesis of P. aeruginosa and E. faecalis. The natural medicinal plant extract of Luffa cylindrica (L. cylindrica) has the potential to inhibit the quorum sensing (QS) system in both PAO1 and E. faecalis at low concentrations. The study, conducted over one year from April 2023 to April 2024, involved a series of in-vitro investigations designed to evaluate the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities of L. cylindrica extract. These investigations included determining the antimicrobial analysis, antibiotic susceptibility testing, Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), performing crystal violet biofilm inhibition assays, evaluating bacterial growth curves, and quantifying extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) at specific concentrations. The results demonstrated that the ethanol extract from L. cylindrica inhibited the proliferation of PAO1 at 10 mg/mL and E. faecalis at 2.5 mg/mL. Subsequent antibiofilm studies revealed that L. cylindrica extract inhibited biofilm formation in PAO1 at 2.5 mg/mL and in E. faecalis at 0.625 mg/mL. Additionally, the L. cylindrica extract significantly reduced the production of EPS in both organisms. These findings highlight the potential of L. cylindrica as an antipathogenic compound capable of preventing QS-dependent pathogenicity in PAO1 and E. faecalis.

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