Assessment of Anti-biofilm Activity of Ferns Against Nosocomial Pathogenic Bacteria

The rapid increase in drug resistance in nosocomial pathogens has warranted the search for novel treatment strategies. Targeting quorum sensing (QS) found in bacteria is opined as an alluring method as many pathogenic bacteria employ QS to modulate their virulence. Plants with an enchanting repertoire of phytochemicals can serve as the source for anti-QS compounds. Ferns, the vascular plants have been reported to be used for treating various ailments in traditional systems of medicine. Although some studies have described the antibacterial activity of ferns, to the best of our knowledge there are no investigations carried out to explore their anti-QS potential. Against this background, the current investigation aimed at identifying the anti-QS activity of ferns in inhibiting biofilm formation in selected nosocomial pathogens. Of the several ferns tested, hexane extract of Psilotumnudum leaf and ethanol extract of Cheilanthestenuifolia leaf exhibited significant anti-biofilm activity against S. aureus and E. coli respectively. There was a marked reduction in biofilm formation of approximately 80%. The presence of anti-QS compounds in these ferns paves way for further research to isolate and identify them.