From Combating Biofilms: The Reason Many Diseases Do Not Respond To Treatment
Xylitol
Xylitol has a long history of use to decrease dental plaque in alternative medicine. In one powerful study, xylitol gum that was used for 39 months was still limiting dental plaque and altering mouth bacteria 15 months after it was stopped. However, it may be likely that new alternative medication solutions, if not used wisely, could lead to the pool algae I mentioned that laughed at chlorine. And while xylitol is a useful biofilm tool, it is possible some bacteria are developing resistance. Further, while newer studies still point to an effect on “lowering biofilm mass” (Alves), and reporting its effect in complex dental procedures, it is very likely this is not the only way or even the primary way this sugar undermines infections. Xylitol was also found to be very useful in lab evaluation for use with wounds. Simply, the more xylitol used, the better the effect. The sugar was tested on a simulation of very tough wound infections that make biofilms: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus. These are three of the most important species associated with biofilms. Biofilm formation was completely inhibited with treatment of 20% xylitol (Dowd). Xylitol’s effects are not limited to oral mouth health. In a summary article it was accepted that in clinical trials, xylitol decreased the occurrence of acute otitis media in day-care children—a common problem for children. Obviously this shows benefits in another organ outside the mouth. Another comment in this study may be of use in lifestyle health. Let me quote: “Exposure to xylitol lowered [biofilm marker] values…but when the [lab bacteria growth substance or] medium was supplemented with glucose or fructose, biofilm formation was enhanced and the inhibitory effect of xylitol on biofilm formation was not observed.” The impression I have is that glucose and fructose are the two most common sugars consumed by humans in the developed world. So in cases of ear infections caused by Strep, pneumonia or throat infections, it is possible that dietary restrictions of “high access” sugars like sucrose, and fructose found in fruit juice can aid in lowering biofilm. I suspect corn syrup would also be a problem. I do not know if the slow release of fructose such as eating an apple or pear would make xylitol useless. While this is a lab study, I think that the finding that routine dietary sugars helping biofilm formation and undermining a useful treatment should be noted.
Erythritol
Erythritol Erythritol is an amazing sugar. For example, when it was given to children head-to-head with xylitol or sorbitol it was clearly superior. Here is a summary of the research: Runnel writes: “Three-year consumption of erythritol-containing candies by initially 7- to 8-year old children was associated with reduced plaque growth, lower levels of plaque acetic acid and propionic acid, and reduced oral counts of mutans streptococci compared with the consumption of xylitol or sorbitol candies.” In a similar way, Japanese researchers show highly advanced reasons for erythritol superiority over xylitol and sorbitol (Hashino). While this study is very dense, let me at least try to list the stunning findings: By advanced confocal microscopic observations, the most effective sugar used to reduce P. gingivalis accumulation onto an S. gordonii substratum was erythritol, as compared with xylitol and sorbitol. In addition, erythritol moderately suppressed S. gordonii monotypic biofilm formation. To examine the inhibitory effects of erythritol, they analyzed the metabolomic profiles of erythritol-treated P. gingivalis and S. gordonii cells. Metabolome analyses showed that a number of critical bacteria chemicals were decreased by erythritol.
Next, metabolites of erythritol- and sorbitol-treated cells were examined. Erythritol significantly decreased the levels of P. gingivalis dipeptides. They tended to be increased by sorbitol. Amazingly, it appears erythritol has inhibitory effects on two diverse species with biofilms, and it acts by at least five very distinct mechanisms. Dowd reported that biofilm formation was completely inhibited in a standard wound approach by 10% erythritol in either of the two Sanguitec gel formulations. Erythritol had an inhibitory effect on P. aeruginosa and S. aureus growth at over 5% concentrations.
Silver
Silver Silver treatment used against the biofilms in wounds has clearly been effective. Indeed, a 1% silver cream has been used successfully to treat and prevent infections in burn patients all over the world. A review by the International Wound Infection Institute shows the data still points to silver as a top treatment. For example, Monteiro tested colloidal silver against fungal biofilms. The conclusion of that work is very firm: irrespective of concentrations used in the study, silver affected the matrix composition and structure of Candida biofilms.
Ionic silver was found to be markedly useful. Silver alginate and silver carboxymethyl cellulose (SCMC) dressings were used on wound infections of challenging bacteria in burn victims. Both dressings at high and low pH helped defeat all of these bacteria: vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa multidrug-resistant Vibrio species multidrug-resistant Stenotrophomonas maltophilia.
The use of ionic silver (Ag+) in a silver nitrate salt (AgNO3) had profound antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli. Silver or Ag+ appeared to induce OH- production and increase membrane permeability (Morones-Ramirez). The possible mechanisms also include: disruption of normal bacterial cellular reactions disulfide bond damage metabolism interference iron balance disruption increased reactive oxygen chemicals increased cell membrane permeability (Percival)
In mice and in the lab (in vitro), silver appeared to increase the activity of and potentially restore antibiotic susceptibility to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. For example, silver treatment of hardy bacteria in mice, as well as lab-generated biofilms, expanded the antibacterial capacities of vancomycin. Finally, both in vitro biofilms and biofilm infections in mice were made more vulnerable to destruction by silver (Morones-Ramirez 2013).
Aspirin
Another useful way to involve aspirin is by teaming it up with the chelation chemical EDTA. Both aspirin and EDTA possess broad antimicrobial activity for biofilm cultures. Aspirin used for 24 hours was successful in eradicating P. aeruginosa, E. coli and C. albicans biofilms. Moreover, exposure to the Aspirin-EDTA combination completely destroyed bacterial biofilms after only four hours in simulation lab testing (Al-Bakri).
Serrapeptidase
Looking at serrapeptidase with more of a scientific eye, Papa’s team recently found this enzyme “could be developed as a potential ‘anti-infective agent’ able to hinder the entry of S. aureus into human tissues, and also impair the ability of this pathogen to adhere to prostheses, catheters and medical devices.” Based on an examination of the biofilm-making Staphylococcus aureus found on most people and in hospitals, we know it has many cell surface survival factors, including proteins that promote adhesion to damaged tissue and to the surface of victim cells, and that bind proteins in blood to help evade immune responses. Serrapeptidase appears to undermine one or more of these processes.
