Some Biofilms can be fought by Vitamin D
Association Biofilms and Vitamin D Perplexity AI Feb 2026
Yes, there is substantial scientific evidence demonstrating associations between vitamin D and biofilm-related infections. The relationship operates through two primary mechanisms: direct anti-biofilm effects against microorganisms and indirect host-mediated immune responses.
Direct Anti-Biofilm Effects
Against Gram-Negative Bacteria
Research has demonstrated that vitamin D (cholecalciferol) acts as a direct inhibitor of biofilm formation in pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria. In laboratory studies testing vitamin D against Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, vitamin D at sub-inhibitory concentrations significantly reduced bacterial attachment by 25–91% and eradicated mature biofilms by 33–94% [^4][^6].
The molecular mechanisms underlying these anti-biofilm effects involve downregulation of biofilm-encoding genes: - cusD gene expression reduced by 76% in A. baumannii - bssS gene expression reduced by 100% in K. pneumoniae - pelA gene expression reduced by 99% in P. aeruginosa [^4]
Molecular docking studies have confirmed that vitamin D exhibits high binding affinity (-10.8 kcal/mol) to biofilm-producing proteins, forming hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions that stabilize binding and potentially inhibit protein activity essential for biofilm formation [^1][^7].
Against Fungal Biofilms
Vitamin D3 demonstrates significant antifungal and antibiofilm activity against Candida species. Research shows vitamin D3 can suppress Candida biofilm formation by up to 88% at concentrations of 60 µg/mL, with an IC50 value of 7.5 µg/mL [^5][^10]. The mechanism involves direct inhibition of hyphal growth, which is essential for biofilm architecture, along with downregulation of hypha-specific genes (ALS3, HWP1, HGT2) and core biofilm regulator genes (BCR1, NDT80) [^11].
Synergy With Antimicrobials
Vitamin D3 potentiates the antimicrobial and antibiofilm efficacy of conventional antibiotics. Studies have shown that combining vitamin D3 with streptomycin or thymoquinone enhances activity against P. aeruginosa biofilms [^2]. This suggests vitamin D could serve as an adjuvant therapy alongside antibiotics for treating biofilm-associated infections caused by multidrug-resistant strains.
Host-Mediated Mechanisms
Cathelicidin Induction
Vitamin D plays a critical role in host defense against biofilm-forming pathogens through immunomodulation. When vitamin D binds to the vitamin D receptor (VDR), it enhances transcription of the CAMP gene encoding cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide [^8]. The active form of cathelicidin, LL-37, is a 37-residue peptide with potent bactericidal effects that can directly inhibit P. aeruginosa biofilm formation [^13].
Vitamin D deficiency is associated with decreased cathelicidin levels, elevated inflammatory cytokines, and increased susceptibility to biofilm-associated infections [^8]. Reports suggest that vitamin D-deficient individuals are more vulnerable to infections by biofilm-producing microbes due to impaired antimicrobial peptide production [^8].
Bladder and Urinary Tract Protection
Research on urinary tract infections demonstrates that vitamin D can induce cathelicidin expression in bladder epithelial cells. When bladder biopsies from postmenopausal women were infected with uropathogenic E. coli after vitamin D supplementation, significant increases in cathelicidin expression were observed. Vitamin D-treated bladder cells exhibited increased antibacterial effects against the pathogen [^9].
Clinical Associations
Oral Health
Vitamin D has been linked to disruption of dental plaque, a naturally occurring oral biofilm. Studies report significant correlations between lower serum vitamin D levels and chronic dental caries in children [^4]. Strong anti-inflammatory properties of vitamin D have been demonstrated in the oral cavity, particularly against periodontal pathogenic microorganisms. It reduces the bacterial load on gingival biofilm and lessens tissue damage during periodontitis by inhibiting Porphyromonas gingivalis and suppressing related virulence factors [^14].
Respiratory Infections
In cystic fibrosis patients, vitamin D deficiency correlates with increased pulmonary exacerbations and Pseudomonas infections [^12]. Vitamin D supplementation has been shown to inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokines in the airways of cystic fibrosis patients infected by P. aeruginosa [^15].
Gastrointestinal Infections
High-dose vitamin D3 supplementation (200,000 IU) in patients with Clostridioides difficile infections led to significant increases in beneficial bacteria (Bifidobacteriaceae, Christensenellaceae) and decreased abundance of Proteobacteria and Enterobacteriaceae compared to controls, suggesting vitamin D helps restore healthy microbiota composition during recovery from biofilm-associated gut infections [^3].
Biofilm Formation Relevance
Biofilms are communities of microbial cells attached to surfaces and embedded in a matrix of extracellular polymeric substances. Mature biofilm-embedded cells are approximately 1,000 times more resistant to antibiotics than planktonic counterparts due to: - Limited penetration of antimicrobials through the biofilm matrix - Upregulation of efflux pumps and resistance genes [^4]
Approximately 65% of bacterial infections and 80% of chronic nosocomial diseases are attributed to biofilm impenetrability [^4]. The ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, K. pneumoniae, A. baumannii, P. aeruginosa, Enterobacter spp.) have high biofilm-forming abilities and multiple drug resistance, making vitamin D's anti-biofilm properties clinically relevant [^4].
Mechanisms Summary
| Mechanism | Target | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Direct molecular binding | Biofilm-related proteins (SdiA, MrkA, OmpA) | Disrupts biofilm formation [^1] |
| Gene downregulation | cusD, bssS, pelA, BCR1, NDT80 | Reduces biofilm gene expression [^4][^11] |
| Cathelicidin induction | Host immune cells | Enhances antimicrobial peptide production [^8] |
| Hyphal inhibition | Candida species | Blocks fungal biofilm architecture [^10][^11] |
| Gut microbiome modulation | Beneficial bacteria | Restores healthy flora composition [^3] |
Therapeutic Implications
Current evidence suggests that maintaining adequate vitamin D levels may help prevent and treat biofilm-associated infections [^8]. Vitamin D shows promise as:
- Adjuvant therapy alongside antibiotics for multidrug-resistant biofilm infections [^4]
- Prophylactic measure against microbial infections in vitamin D-deficient individuals [^1]
- Complement to antifungal drugs for treating Candida infections, particularly those involving biofilms [^5]
However, comprehensive clinical trials across various ethnicities are still needed to fully understand the relationships between vitamin D receptor gene expression, cathelicidin levels, and infection outcomes [^8]. Most anti-biofilm studies to date have been conducted in vitro, and further validation through in vivo studies is required to confirm these promising results [^4].
References
[PDF] Evaluation of the Anti-biofilm Activity of Vitamins Against ... - Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the antibiofilm properties of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) a...
Vitamin D3 potentiates antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities of ... - These findings suggest that D3 potentiates the antimicrobial and antibiofilm efficacy of both strept...
High Dose Intramuscular Vitamin D3 Supplementation Impacts the ... - Vitamin D induces cathelicidin production, which can directly kill viruses and bacteria or bind to e...
Vitamin D and vitamin K1 as novel inhibitors of biofilm in Gram ... - We propose a novel approach focusing on vitamin D and vitamin K1 as potential antibiofilm agents tha...
Vitamin D3 – A New Remedy against Fungal Infections - Vitamin D suppresses the formation of Candida biofilms by up to 88%. Therefore, vitamin D3 may incre...
Vitamin D and vitamin K1 as novel inhibitors of biofilm in Gram ... - We propose a novel approach focusing on vitamin D and vitamin K1 as potential antibiofilm agents tha...
Evaluation of the Anti-biofilm Activity of Vitamins Against ... - PubMed - Vitamin D demonstrated good in vitro potential as an anti-biofilm agent and should be considered for...
Vitamin D attenuates biofilm-associated infections via ... - PubMed - This narrative review covers biofilm formation, infections associated with biofilm due to vitamin D ...
Vitamin D Induction of the Human Antimicrobial Peptide Cathelicidin ... - Here we show that vitamin D can induce cathelicidin in the urinary bladder. We analyzed bladder tiss...
Vitamin D3: A promising antifungal and antibiofilm agent ... - Results of the current study demonstrated that vitamin D 3 has a significant inhibitory effect on Ca...
Antifungal activity of vitamin D3 against Candida albicans in vitro ... - VD 3 had an inhibitory effect against Candida spp. due to damaging hypha and biofilm. VD 3 affected ...
Vitamin D status and pulmonary exacerbations in children and ... - NIH - Vitamin D deficiency is related to an increased number of annual pulmonary exacerbations and pseudom...
Cystic Fibrosis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa: the Host-Microbe ... - Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that commonly infects the CF lung, promoting an ...
Vitamin D deficiency and oral health: a systematic review of literature - VDD is highly implicated with oral diseases and has been linked with a higher risk of tooth defects,...
Vitamin D Inhibits Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines in the Airways of ... - Vitamin D Inhibits Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines in the Airways of Cystic Fibrosis Patients Infected by...
Biofilms shield themselves with microplastics Perplexity AI Feb 2026
Yes. There is a well-documented, bidirectional association between biofilms and microplastics in aquatic and other environments. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih
How biofilms and microplastics interact
- Microplastics provide new, persistent surfaces that are rapidly colonized by microbes, forming distinctive biofilms often termed the “plastisphere.” pubs.acs
- Biofilm formation on microplastics depends on environmental conditions (temperature, nutrients, pH) and plastic properties (polymer type, surface roughness, hydrophobicity, degradability). frontiersin
- Once established, these biofilms alter the microplastics’ physicochemical properties (density, surface charge, hydrophobicity), which changes their transport, distribution, and persistence in water and sediments. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih
- Biofilm-coated microplastics can act as vectors:
- For microorganisms, including potential pathogens and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. journals.asm
- For chemical pollutants, because extracellular polymeric substances in biofilms enhance adsorption and retention of metals and organic contaminants. ui.adsabs.harvard
- Microbes within these biofilms can participate in partial biodegradation or fragmentation of plastics, sometimes leading to the formation of smaller micro- and nanoplastics while also using released carbon as a substrate. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih
If you’d like, I can narrow this to human health implications (e.g., gut colonization, AMR spread) or to specific environments (marine vs freshwater vs wastewater).