Biofilm/QS – Focus on Serratiopeptidase – Part 3
Friends:
In these past two articles, we explored biofilms and the unique, fascinating, and relatively less-known form of its communication intelligence called “quorum sensing.”
Why not discuss ingredients and leave this background science behind?
The reason is that many “ingredients” go beyond typical ingredient description when positioning their features and how it relates and interacts with the microbiome, oral health, and the biofilm challenge.
Once when one somewhat better appreciates how things connect, then interrelationships and therapeutic and health strategies are better understood–this is a sequential process, and the biofilm structure and its microbial communication are not random.
From Joe Cohen in “Self-Hacked,” for some review:
“When many bacteria gather in one place, enough to form a “quorum” as in the number of members needed to vote on an issue in parliamentary procedure, they can communicate with one another via chemical messages, or “quorum sensing” (QS).
Quorum sensing allows the bacteria to work en masse (as though together they made up one organism) to change their behavior and adapt to their present environment.
QS operates as “strength in numbers” for the bacteria to expand their territory, construct biofilm shields, defend against antimicrobial agents, and make necessary changes to improve their survival.
However, aside from bacterial biofilms, there are viral ones. The difference is that the bacteria will make their own and the viral biofilm recruits materials from the host cells.
From a newsletter from the Pasteur Institute:
“Like the formation of biofilms in bacteria and viruses, a collection of viruses has formed. This viral accumulation may support the virus in chronic infection. Despite the similarities between bacterial and viral biofilms, they have differences, one of the important differences being that the matrix of normal biofilm formation is mainly made by the microbe itself, while the matrix of viral assemblies is produced by the infected cell.”
The objective against deleterious microbes ( i.e., bacteria, viruses, and some yeasts) is to “jam” these communication signals, and thus, it becomes harder to form biofilms and survive.”
A number of natural compounds are good for jamming signals or disrupting biofilms to the point the underlying infection, or bacterial mass, is more susceptible to our immune system and therapeutics ( to be discussed more in detail next issue).
“Serratiopeptidase is a proteolytic enzyme with immense applications in therapeutic areas,
which have been validated by several in vitro, in vivo, clinical studies, and through anecdotal evidence.
These applications are attributable to their versatile properties, including anti-inflammatory,
The significant impact of serratiopeptidase reported needs to be backed by more scientific data.
This review encompasses the therapeutic applications of serratiopeptidase based on available in vitro, in vivo,
and clinical studies. We found some strong evidence regarding the efficacy of serratiopeptidase”.
“Serratiopeptidase, A Serine Protease Anti-Inflammatory, Fibrinolytic, and Mucolytic Drug, Can Be a Useful Adjuvant for the Management in COVID-19
Charu Sharma, 1 Niraj Kumar Jha, 2 M. F. Nagoor Meeran, 3 Chandragouda R. Patil, 4 Sameer N. Goyal, 5 and Shreesh Ojha 3,
SEPD ( serratiopeptidase) is generally well tolerated, with few exceptions of rare adverse effects. It is available alone or in combination with anti-inflammatory agents as a tablet, mostly as enteric-coated tablets or capsules. SEPD is distributed to the tissues and bioavailable in plasma and lymph following binding to alpha-2-macroglobulin in the blood, thus devoid of allergenicity and retains its enzymatic activity at the systemic and cellular level within 1 h.