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Updated: Dec 27, 2025

Anti-virulent Disruption of Pathogenic Biofilms using Engineered Quorum-quenching Lactonases
Published on: January 1, 2016
Antimicrobial ability and mechanism analysis of Lactobacillus species against carbapenemase-producing
Chi-Chung Chen1, Chih-Cheng Lai2, Hui-Ling Huang3
1Department of Medical Research, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan; Department of Food Science, National Chiayi University, Chiayi, Taiwan.
Background:
This study aims to investigate the antimicrobial ability and mechanism analysis of Lactobacillus species against carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE).
Methods:
Five Lactobacillus spp. strains and 18 CPE clinical isolates were collected. Their anti-CPE effects were assessed by agar well diffusion and broth microdilution assay, as well as time-kill test. Finally, the specific anti-CPE mechanism, especially for the effect of organic acids was determined using broth microdilution method.
Results:
All of five Lactobacilli isolates displayed the potent activity against most CPE isolates with mean zones of inhibition ranging 10.2-21.1 mm. The anti-CPE activity was not affected by heating, catalase, and proteinase treatment. Under the concentration of 50% LUC0180 cell-free supernatant (CFS), lactic acid, and mix acid could totally inhibit the growth of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CPE0011), and acetic acid could inhibit 67.8%. In contrast, succinic acid and citric acid could not inhibit the growth of CPE0011. While we decreased the concentration to 25%, only lactic acid and mix acid displayed 100% inhibition. In contrast, succinic acid, citric acid and acetic acid did not show any inhibitory effect.
Conclusions:
Lactobacillus strains exhibit potent anti-CPE activity, and lactic acid produced by Lactobacillus strains is the major antimicrobial mechanism.
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