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Impact of Fiber Diameter and Surface Topography of PCL Nanofibers on Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus Biofilm Formation and Resistance

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Electrospun nanofibrous matrices are an emerging platform for probiotics. We evaluated polycaprolactone (PCL) nanomaterials, hypothesizing that fiber diameter and shish-kebab ( sk ) structures would increase biofilm formation and resistance. Four unique nanomaterials (PCL45, PCL45-sk, PCL80, PCL80-sk) were electrospun and tested with two Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus strains (ATCC 9595, ATCC 53103). Biofilms formed after 48 h and 8 days were analyzed for biomass (CFU/cm 2 ), structure (SEM), and metabolic activity (MTT). PCLs enhanced biofilm formation compared with polystyrene (reaching up to 8.7 ± 0.2 log 10 (CFU/cm 2 ) for L. rhamnosus ATCC 9595 after 48 h); prolonged cultivation revealed strain-specific responses, with fiber diameter and sk significant impact. PCL-supported biofilms showed a good response to a short-term challenge of low pH (2, 4), with the minimal 97.9 ± 3.7% survival rate, and a preliminary, strain-dependent improvement in resilience to Staphylococcus aureus, mostly for L. rhamnosus ATCC 9595. This identifies PCLs as promising, adjustable carriers for probiotic biofilms.

Source: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry

DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5c16509