title: Effect of allicin on the production of polysaccharide intercellular adhesin in Staphylococcus epidermidis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA) is the main agglutination agent in the biofilm forming strain Staphylococcus epidermidis. To find an explanation for the observed inhibition of biofilm formation by allicin, we studied the effect of allicin on PIA production in samples treated with sub MIC doses of allicin and compared this with a control culture without allicin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bacteria (Staph. epidermidis ATCC 35984) were grown in glass tubes, and PIA was extracted by vortex vibration using microbeads and NN dimethyl acetamide/LiCl as solvent. The extracts were filtered and passed through size exclusion columns. Chromatographic fractions were analysed with an excess of sodium metaperiodate and the excess was determined spectrophotometrically using 2,4,6-tripyridyl-s-triazine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The amount of exopolysaccharides in samples previously treated with allicin is significantly lower than in the control. This finding suggests a specific enzymatic inhibition in PIA synthesis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides an insight into the mechanism of biofilm formation, and is a biochemical model for PIA inhibition by allicin. The analysis proposed may be useful in studies of production of exopolysaccharides responsible for adherence and agglutination of Staph. epidermidis. Prevention of biofilm formation by allicin opens up a new field of in vitro studies and permits us to envisage future clinical applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain. gcruzvillalon@gmail.com
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cruz-Villalón
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pérez-Giraldo
mesh_terms: D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects; D004220:Disulfides; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism*; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013441:Sulfinic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D004220:Disulfides; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D013441:Sulfinic Acids; C113579:polysaccharide intercellular adhesin; C006452:allicin