Bacterial biofilm removal using fungal enzymes

Three fungal strains of Aspergillus niger, Trichoderma viride and Penicillium spp., were grown on four alternative plant polysaccharides as C-sources, to induce enzymes able to degrade the bacterial biofilm matrix, for industrial cleaning purposes. Gum arabic and pectin were the C-sources providing supernatants with better Pseudomonas fluorescens biofilm removal ability. Comparable efficiencies, however, could be achieved with different enzymes, suggesting attacks to alternative points or structures of the biofilm matrix.