An apparent lack of synergy between degradative enzymes against biofilms.

Enzymes combat bacterial infections by degrading biomolecules to disperse biofilms. Commercial enzyme mixtures, like cellulase and pepsin, show concentration-dependent dispersion, but low concentrations lack synergy. Only the sequential addition of pepsin followed by zymolyase 20T displays synergy, effectively dispersing biofilms.

An apparent lack of synergy between degradative enzymes against biofilms.

The use of enzymes represents an approach to combat bacterial infections by degrading extracellular biomolecules to disperse biofilms. Commercial enzyme preparations, including cellulase, amylase, pectinase, zymolyase, and pepsin, exhibit concentration-dependent dispersion of biofilms. Here, we report that low concentrations of these enzymes generally lack synergy when combined or added together sequentially to biofilms.

Fungal Glycoside Hydrolases Display Unique Specificities for Polysaccharides and Biofilms.

Commercially available cellulases and amylases can disperse the pathogenic bacteria embedded in biofilms. This suggests that polysaccharide-degrading enzymes would be useful as antibacterial therapies to aid the treatment of biofilm-associated bacteria, e.g.