Evaluation of the Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Activity of Commercial Probiotics Against Drug-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria
Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Activity of Commercial Probiotics
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63841/iue3261071Keywords:
Gram-negative bacteria; MDR/XDR/PDR; Biofilm; In-vitro synergistic effect, drug resistance.Abstract
The increasing prevalence of drug resistant Gram-negative bacteria has become a serious public health concern, these pathogens often form biofilms that protect them from antibiotics, complicating treatment. Probiotics have recently gained attention as potential adjuncts due to their antibacterial and antibiofilm effects. This study evaluated the resistance profiles, biofilm formation, and in vitro antibacterial and antibiofilm effects of two commercial probiotics Vitalactic B (Lactobacillus only) and PROIBS (Lactobacillus and yeast) against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative isolates in Erbil, Iraq. From 120 clinical samples, 62 drug-resistant isolates were identified using the VITEK2 system. Biofilm formation was assessed by Congo Red and microtiter plate method, and antibacterial activity was tested using the agar slab method. The synergistic interaction with meropenem was also analyzed. Results showed that the isolates included Escherichia coli (37.1%), Klebsiella spp. (30.6%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12.9%), Enterobacter spp. (12.9%), Acinetobacter baumannii (3.2%), Morganella morganii (1.6%), and Burkholderia cepacia (1.6%). The resistance phenotypes were MDR 45.2%, XDR 25.8%, PDR 22.6%, and Drug sensitive 6.5%. Biofilm detection revealed 47 (75.8%) positives by the Congo Red method and 35 (56.4%) by the microtiter assay. In antibacterial testing, PROIBS demonstrated significantly stronger inhibition than Vitalactic B very strong (≥16 mm) in 61.3% vs 19.4%; strong 29.0% vs 40.3%; moderate 6.5% vs 16.1%; weak 1.6% vs 8.1%; and no inhibition 1.6% vs 16.1%, respectively. Overall inhibition occurred in 98.4% of cases with PROIBS and 83.9% with Vitalactic B. In combination assays, probiotics enhanced meropenem inhibition zones in 57.7% of comparisons, indicating a significant synergistic effect. The high frequency of MDR/XDR/PDR pathogens highlights the need for alternative therapies. PROIBS demonstrated superior antibacterial, antibiofilm, and synergistic effects, suggesting its potential as an adjunct against carbapenem-resistant infections.
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