Postbiotic activity of Akkermansia muciniphila supernatant against antibiotic-resistant Enterococcus faecalis.

Abstract

This study was conducted in response to the growing need for alternative microbial control strategies in the face of escalating antibiotic resistance, aiming to evaluate the antibacterial and antibiofilm potential of postbiotic components derived from Akkermansia muciniphila. Focusing on Enterococcus faecalis, a Gram-positive, biofilm-forming opportunistic pathogen, the effects of cell-free supernatant were analyzed in vitro on both planktonic growth and biofilm structures. The supernatant significantly suppressed planktonic proliferation, while biofilm assays revealed over 50% inhibition of biofilm formation and up to 40% disruption of preformed biofilms. These effects, confirmed via crystal violet staining, indicate that the supernatant possesses both preventive and curative antibiofilm properties. While the immunomodulatory and barrier-enhancing roles of A. muciniphila have been increasingly documented in the literature, this study provides direct experimental evidence of its antibiofilm efficacy, offering a novel perspective on its therapeutic scope. The findings suggest that postbiotics from A. muciniphila act not only through inhibition of bacterial growth but also by targeting biofilm-associated resistance mechanisms. Thus, A. muciniphila supernatant emerges as a promising and innovative candidate for next-generation antimicrobial and antibiofilm strategies, particularly for managing infections involving drug-resistant biofilm-forming pathogens.