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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, August 2003, p. 4814-4822, Vol. 69, No. 8
0099-2240/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.69.8.4814-4822.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine Affects Growth, Extracellular Polysaccharide Production, and Bacterial Biofilm Formation on Solid Surfaces

Ann-Cathrin Olofsson,1* Malte Hermansson,2 and Hans Elwing1

Department of Cell and Molecular Biology—Interface Biophysics,1 Department of Cell and Molecular Biology—Microbiology, Göteborg University, 405 30 Göteborg, Sweden2

Received 21 January 2003/ Accepted 12 May 2003

N-Acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) is used in medical treatment of patients with chronic bronchitis. The positive effects of NAC treatment have primarily been attributed to the mucus-dissolving properties of NAC, as well as its ability to decrease biofilm formation, which reduces bacterial infections. Our results suggest that NAC also may be an interesting candidate for use as an agent to reduce and prevent biofilm formation on stainless steel surfaces in environments typical of paper mill plants. Using 10 different bacterial strains isolated from a paper mill, we found that the mode of action of NAC is chemical, as well as biological, in the case of bacterial adhesion to stainless steel surfaces. The initial adhesion of bacteria is dependent on the wettability of the substratum. NAC was shown to bind to stainless steel, increasing the wettability of the surface. Moreover, NAC decreased bacterial adhesion and even detached bacteria that were adhering to stainless steel surfaces. Growth of various bacteria, as monocultures or in a multispecies community, was inhibited at different concentrations of NAC. We also found that there was no detectable degradation of extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) by NAC, indicating that NAC reduced the production of EPS, in most bacteria tested, even at concentrations at which growth was not affected. Altogether, the presence of NAC changes the texture of the biofilm formed and makes NAC an interesting candidate for use as a general inhibitor of formation of bacterial biofilms on stainless steel surfaces.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Cell and Molecular Biology—Interface Biophysics, Göteborg University, Box 462, 405 30 Göteborg, Sweden. Phone: 46 31 7732593. Fax: 46 31 7732599. E-mail: anki.olofsson{at}gmm.gu.se.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, August 2003, p. 4814-4822, Vol. 69, No. 8
0099-2240/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.69.8.4814-4822.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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