Biofilm Formation by Polymicrobial Interactions between Candida albicans with Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis

Biofilm polymicrobial infections have gained international attention, especially cases involving fungi and bacteria. Such infections require patients to undergo costly, extended hospital stays and have caused a considerable amount of morbidity and mortality. Polymicrobial biofilms also have greater mortality rates than monomicrobial biofilms. This study aims to evaluate the overall biomass of biofilms produced by Candida albicans interacting with two Gram-positive bacteria: E. faecalis and S. aureus. Tryptic Soy Broth (TSB) medium were used for the bacterial and fungal suspensions. Three 96-well microplates were used for the biofilm cultivation. The microplates were then incubated for 24, 48, and 72 hours at 37˚C. Next, after conducting the Crystal Violet test, the biofilms’ Optical Density (OD) values were measured by an ELISA reader. The mixed species treatment of Candida albicans with S. aureus for 72 hours had the highest average OD value (OD ± SD = 0.903 ± 0.050), while the mixed species treatment of Candida albicans with E. faecalis for 24 hours had the lowest average OD value (OD ± SD = 0.240 ± 0.032). In conclusion, the parameters observed in this study revealed that biofilms could be formed well by polymicrobial interactions between Candida albicans and two Gram-positive bacteria: S. aureus and E. faecalis.