Adhesion of bacteria with different levels of hydrophobicity to the surface of synthetic polymers

Abstract

The role of the hydrophobic characteristics of bacteria and substrate on the intensity of microbial colonization of synthetic polymers was studied. Polystyrene, polypropylene, and cellophane were used as substrates. Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Mycobacterium smegmatis served as test bacteria. The degree of hydrophobicity of the bacterial surface was determined via an n-hexadecane test. The hydrophobicity of the polymers was assessed by measuring the contact angle. The intensity of adhesion was determined using a light microscope by the number of attached cells after incubation of bacteria on the substrate surface, followed by staining with gentian violet. It has been shown that the intensity of adhesion depends both on the hydrophobicity of the bacteria and on the substrates. Thus, for bacteria, a direct relationship was observed between the intensity of adhesion and the degree of cell surface hydrophobicity. However, the amphiphilic material that proved to be most susceptible to bacterial adhesion was polystyrene. Therefore, additional hydrophobization or hydrophilization of the substrate surface can hinder bacterial adhesion. Furthermore, when testing the adsorption properties of materials, it is advisable to use several test bacteria with different cell surface characteristics.