Biofilm dispersal effects of Fenton’s reagent on Staphylococcus aureus biofilm

JEAN DOROTHY B. ANDRADA, JOSE GABRIEL R. JAVELLANA, FELIZ ISABEL C. LICUP, and ANDREA LUCYLE M. BELA-ONG
Philippine Science High School – Western Visayas Campus, Brgy. Bito-on, Jaro, Iloilo City 5000, Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute, Philippines

Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus biofilms have shown significant resistance against antibiotics. A potential approach to counter this is through inducing biofilm dispersal. Fenton’s reagent, a solution which contains the reactive hydroxyl radical (OH•), may be a potential agent of biofilm dispersal. Although Fenton chemistry has proven to have antibacterial effects, the effect of Fenton’s reagent itself against a biofilm has not yet been determined. This study aims to evaluate the biofilm dispersal effects of Fenton’s reagent on an S. aureus biofilm, through the use of the crystal violet assay and microplate reading at OD620. It was found that Fenton’s reagent does not induce biofilm dispersal; rather, it induces biofilm formation at 100 μL and has no effect at 200 μL. This may have been due to excess Fe 2+ ions and due to the reactive hydroxyl radical already being consumed by the time of the reagent’s application. It was concluded that Fenton’s reagent may induce biofilm formation instead of biofilm dispersal, depending on the ratio between the volume of Fenton’s reagent and the biofilm mass.

Keywords: Fenton’s reagent, biofilms, anti-biofilm, biofilm dispersal, Staphylococcus aureus