Evaluation of the Anti-biofilm Activity of Vitamins Against Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae Recovered From Clinical Specimens: An In Vitro and In Silico Analysis

Pathogens that form biofilms reduce the effectiveness of conventional treatments and promote antibiotic resistance. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the antibiofilm properties of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and vitamin D (cholecalciferol) experimentally. The antibiofilm properties of the studied compounds were evaluated using molecular docking analyses. AutoDock Vina software (The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California) was used to assess the binding affinity of vitamins C and D to the active sites of biofilm-related proteins. Molecular docking revealed different affinities toward the active sites of the target proteins. The interactions showed promising results, with vitamin D forming both hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions. Compared to vitamin C, vitamin D exhibited the highest binding affinity, with a score of -10.8 kcal/mol. However, molecular dynamics simulations are needed to further elucidate the dynamic behaviors and stability of these compound-protein complexes. Vitamin D demonstrated good in vitro potential as an anti-biofilm agent and should be considered for use alongside antibiotics in the treatment of bacterial infections.