Polyethyleneimine and polyethyleneimine-based nanoparticles: novel bacterial and yeast biofilm inhibitors

Biofilms are commonly involved in medical device-related infections. The purpose of this study was to determine the antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity of polyethyleneimine (PEI) and PEI-based nanoparticles (nanoPEI) against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Acinetobacter baumannii and Candida albicans (clinical and ATCC strains), and to evaluate their effect upon biofilm formation on polyurethane (PUR)-like catheters. MICs and minimal lethal concentrations of PEI and nanoPEI were determined according to CLSI microdilution reference protocols. For PEI, the MIC value was 195.31 mg l −1 for all the bacteria and 48.83 mg l −1 for the yeast strains. For nanoPEI, the MIC value was 1250 mg l −1 for all the strains except A. baumannii , for which it was 2500 mg l −1 . Biofilm formation was assessed with PUR-like catheter segments and biofilm metabolic activity was quantified by colorimetry with a tetrazolium reduction assay. Plasma membrane integrity and membrane potential were assessed by flow cytometry after staining microbial cells with a membrane-impermeable dye, propidium iodide, and a membrane-potential marker, DiBAC 4 (3). PEI inhibited growth of all microbial species; higher concentrations of nanoPEI were needed to inhibit growth of all species. Biofilm formation in the presence of anti-bacterial PEI activity was dose-dependent (except for S. epidermidis ) and species-related. NanoPEI at 0.5×MIC and MIC significantly reduced the metabolic activity of biofilms of S. aureus, S. epidermidis and A. baumannii , whereas 2×MIC was required in order to inhibit biofilm metabolic activity.