title: Removal of microbial multi-species biofilms from the paper industry by enzymatic treatments.
abstract: This study aimed to characterize biofilms from the paper industry and evaluate the effectiveness of enzymatic treatments in reducing them. The extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) extracted from six industrial biofilms were studied. EPS were mainly proteins, the protein to polysaccharide ratio ranging from 1.3 to 8.6 depending on where the sampling point was situated in the paper making process. Eight hydrolytic enzymes were screened on a 24-h multi-species biofilm. The enzymes were tested at various concentrations and contact durations. Glycosidases and lipases were inefficient or only slightly efficient for biofilm reduction, while proteases were more efficient: after treatment for 24 h with pepsin, Alcalase® or Savinase®, the removal exceeded 80%. Savinase® appeared to be the most adequate for industrial conditions and was tested on an industrial biofilm sample. This enzyme led to a significant release of proteins from the EPS matrix, indicating its potential efficiency on an industrial scale.
authors.affiliation: Université de Toulouse, Laboratoire de Biotechnologies Agroalimentaire et Environnementale, EA 4565, Institut Universitaire de Technologies, 24 rue d'Embaquès, F-32000, Auch, France.
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Marcato-Romain
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pechaud
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Girbal-Neuhauser
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dossat-Létisse
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D007218:Industrial Microbiology / Q000379:methods*; D010209:Paper; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D010447:Peptide Hydrolases