The Effect of Pyroligneous Acid on Staphylococcus epidermidis Biofilm Formation on High-Density Polyethylene Surfaces

The purpose of the study is to determine if pyroligneous acid (PA) can effectively inhibit S. epidermidis biofilm formation on a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) surface to determine natural, alternative treatment methods for biofilm-related infections associated with medical implant devices. It was hypothesized that as the concentration of PA was increased, the inhibition of biofilm formation would increase based on previous studies showcasing the effectiveness of PA and other phenolic-rich natural compounds (Yang et al., 2016; Minich et al., 2022; Zou et al., 2019). In this study, HDPE cubes were exposed to S. epidermidis cultures treated with solutions of different PA concentrations. Biofilm biomass was quantified using crystal violet staining and measuring absorbance (AU) using a spectrophotometer. The results suggest that PA exhibits a concentration-dependent inhibition of S. epidermidis biofilm formation on HDPE surfaces (F (3,116) = 14.05, p