Effects of a Novel Probiotic Combination on Pathogenic Bacterial-Fungal Polymicrobial Biofilms

Abstract

The effects of diversity of the gut microbiome on inflammation have centered mainly on bacterial flora. Recent research has implicated fungal species and their interactions with other organisms in the inflammatory process. New ways to restore microbial balance in the gut are being explored. Our goal was to identify beneficial probiotic strains that would antagonize these fungal and bacterial pathogens that are elevated in the inflamed gut, and which also have antibiofilm activity. Fungus-bacterium correlation analysis allowed us to identify candidate probiotic species that can antagonize microbial pathogens, which we subsequently incorporated into a novel probiotic formulation. Amylase, which is known to have some antibiofilm activity, was also added to the probiotic mixture. This novel probiotic may have utility for the management of inflammatory bowel diseases by disrupting polymicrobial biofilm formation.