Determination of Susceptibility Profiles of B. cereus Strains towards Certain Antibiotics Isolated from Plant-Derived Foods

Abstract

Bacillus cereus is a gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, spore-forming bacterium. It is common in nature and it is isolated from foods such as spices, meat, milk, cereals, legumes and from mastitis cases and wound infections in animals. Studies on the detection of transferable antibiotic resistance genes in the food chain have gained importance after the World Health Organization declared the development and spread of antibiotic resistance in bacteria as one of the important health problems of the 21st century. This study aimed to determine the phenotypic susceptibility profiles of B. cereus strains isolated from various plant-derived foods against different groups of antibiotics. B. cereus was found at a rate of 19.7%, with concentrations ranging between 1.4x10² cfu/g and 1.0x10⁴ cfu/g, in a total of 152 plant-derived foods. The phenotypic susceptibility profiles of 30 isolated B. cereus strains against 8 different groups of antibiotics were tested using the disk diffusion method. Results were interpreted as susceptible, intermediate, or resistant according to the European Committee for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) criteria.While all B. cereus strains were resistant to cefixime and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, 3.4% were susceptible to sulphamethoxazole/trimethoprim, 6.6% were moderately susceptible, and 90% were resistant. The highest antibiotic susceptibility (100%) was found for chloramphenicol and (93.3%) for gentamicin, while tetracycline and erythromycin had the same sensitivity rate (56.7%). 83.3% of the strains were moderately susceptible to ciprofloxacin, and 16.7% were resistant.In conclusion, the determination of antibiotic susceptibility profiles in foodborne pathogens is crucial for monitoring the distribution of antibiotic resistance, creating appropriate treatment plans, and preventing the spread of antimicrobial resistance genes through foodborne pathogens.

Keywords

• Antibiotic Resistance
• Bacillus cereus
• Food Plants

Bitkisel Kaynaklı Gıdalardan İzole Edilen B. cereus Suşlarının Bazı Antibiyotiklere Karşı Duyarlılık Profillerinin Belirlenmesi

Öz

Bacillus cereus, gram pozitif, fakültatif anaerob, sporlu bir bakteridir. Doğada yaygındır ve baharat, et, süt, tahıl, bakliyat gibi gıdalar ile hayvanlarda mastitis olgularından ve yara enfeksiyonlarından izole edilmektedir. Aktarılabilir antibiyotik direnç genlerinin gıda zincirinde saptanmasıyla ilgili çalışmalar Dünya Sağlık Örgütü’nün bakterilerde antibiyotik direnç gelişimi ve yayılımını 21. yüzyılın önemli sağlık sorunlarından biri olarak bildirilmesiyle önem kazanmıştır. Mevcut çalışma bitkisel kaynaklı çeşitli gıdalardan izole edilen B. cereus suşlarının farklı grup antibiyotiklere karşı fenotipik duyarlılık profillerinin belirlenmesi amacıyla gerçekleştirilmiştir. Toplam 152 bitkisel kaynaklı gıdada B. cereus %19.7 oranında ve 1.4x10² kob/g ile 1.0x10⁴ kob/g arasında saptanmıştır. İzole edilen 30 B. cereus suşunun 8 farklı grup antibiyotiğe karşı fenotipik duyarlılık profilleri disk difüzyon yöntemiyle test edilmiştir. Sonuçlar Avrupa Antimikrobiyal Duyarlılık Testi Komitesi (EUCAST) kriterlerine göre duyarlı, orta duyarlı veya dirençli olarak yorumlanmıştır. B. cereus suşlarının tamamı sefiksim ve amoksisilin/klavulonik asite dirençli iken, %3.4’ü sulphametoksazol/trimetoprime karşı duyarlı, %6.6’sı orta derecede duyarlı, %90’nının ise dirençli olduğu saptanmıştır. En yüksek antibiyotik duyarlılık (%100) kloramfenikol ve (%93.3) gentamisine karşı iken, tetrasiklin ve eritromisine eşit oranda (%56.7) duyarlılık belirlenmiştir. Suşların %83.3’ünün siprofloksasine orta derecede duyarlı, %16.7’sinin ise dirençli olduğu saptanmıştır. Sonuç olarak; antibiyotik duyarlılık profillerinin gıda kaynaklı patojenlerde belirlenmesinin antimikrobiyal direnç geni yayılımlarının gıda kaynaklı patojenler aracılığıyla da mümkün olması, uygun tedavi planlarının oluşturulması ve antibiyotik direnç dağılımlarının izlenebilmesi açısından önemli olduğu düşünülmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Antibiyotik Direnci
• Bacillus cereus
• Yenilen Bitkiler

Kaynakça

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