Biosurfactants as Antibiofilm Agents for Medical Devices: Mechanisms, Evidence and Integration into Infection Prevention and Control
spp., and it was generally noted that BSs reduced microbial adhesion and delayed early biofilm formation on medical devices and healthcare-related surfaces. Significant evidence also suggests that they partially disrupt biofilms and improve antimicrobial penetration when co-applied, mainly through membrane disruption, destabilization of extracellular substances, interfering with quorum sensing, and synergistic and/or antagonistic interactions with other molecules. Their performance varied with class, formulation, hydrodynamic conditions, and microbial composition. BSs function better as preventive and adjunctive IPC tools than stand-alone antimicrobial agents and can help to reduce biofilm formation on devices and improve surface disinfection. However, translating this promise into practice demands more robust data on long-term safety, stability, and product quality.
Authors
- İbrahim M. Banat (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8964-2840)
- Sunday Stephen Abi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4533-2837)
Institutions
- University of Ulster (GB)
- Oldham Council (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Microorganisms
- Published
- 2026-04-17
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14040910
- Primary Topic
- Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensing
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00