does the enzyme amylase destroy biofilms?

Date:   12/2/2010 10:07:22 PM ( 14 y ago)

it's important to remember that biofilms consist of a polysaccharide matrix. That is the glue that holds it together. Thus in theory any enzyme that destroys and or degrades polysaccharides will also destroy the biofilm matrix

Turns out that the enzyme amylase does in fact have polysaccharide degrading properties and thus in theory it would help to destroy biofilms

This company Novozyme is a very big company and one of the things they do is to create their own patented enzymes for industrial usage. One of their goals is to create an enzyme that will destroy biofilms. the reason they want to do this is that companies in the food producing business are having a difficult time sterilizing their equipment due to the formation of bacterial biofilms.

As you can see from this patent, they are using the enzyme amylase as their starting off point To create a patentable enzyme that will destroy biofilms

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2008/0248558.html


The formation of biofilm is generally accompanied by the production of exo-polymeric materials (polysaccharides, polyuronic acids, alginates, glycoproteins, and proteins) which together with the cells form thick layers of differentiated structures separated by water-filled spaces (McEldowney and Fletcher, 1986, Journal of General Microbiology 132: 513-523; Sutherland, Surface Carbohydrates of the Prokaryotic Cell, Academic Press, New York, 1977, pp. 27-96). In the methods of the present invention, the alpha-amylase composition may further comprise one or more other enzymes capable of degrading the exo-polymeric materials such as polysaccharides, polyuronic acids, alginates, glycoproteins, and proteins.

 

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