The Use of Probiotics to Fight Biofilms in Medical Devices: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

• Type: Another Publication in an International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2021

Authors

Fábio M. Carvalho (Author) Other; Rita Teixeira Santos (Author) FEUP; Filipe J. M. Mergulhão (Author) FEUP; Luciana Gomes (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Microorganisms

Vol. 9 No. 1

Pages: 1-26

Publisher: MDPI

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 0 Citations

Scopus - 3 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00T-6XW

DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9010027

Abstract (EN): Medical device-associated infections (MDAI) are a critical problem due to the increasing usage of medical devices in the aging population. The inhibition of biofilm formation through the use of probiotics has received attention from the medical field in the last years. However, this sparse knowledge has not been properly reviewed, so that successful strategies for biofilm management can be developed. This study aims to summarize the relevant literature about the effect of probiotics and their metabolites on biofilm formation in medical devices using a PRISMA-oriented (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) systematic search and meta-analysis. This approach revealed that the use of probiotics and their products is a promising strategy to hinder biofilm growth by a broad spectrum of pathogenic microorganisms. The meta-analysis showed a pooled effect estimate for the proportion of biofilm reduction of 70% for biosurfactants, 76% for cell-free supernatants (CFS), 77% for probiotic cells and 88% for exopolysaccharides (EPS). This review also highlights the need to properly analyze and report data, as well as the importance of standardizing the in vitro culture conditions to facilitate the comparison between studies. This is essential to increase the predictive value of the studies and translate their findings into clinical applications.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 26