Pathogen killing pathogen: antimicrobial substance from Acinetobacter active against foodborne pathogens

Cinara Souza da Conceição; Barbara Victor Souza; Jessica Manya Bittencourt Dias Vieira; Janaína dos Santos Nascimento

doi:10.3855/jidc.9894

Pathogen killing pathogen: antimicrobial substance from Acinetobacter active against foodborne pathogens

Authors

Cinara Souza da Conceição Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Rio de Janeiro (IFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Barbara Victor Souza Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Rio de Janeiro (IFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Jessica Manya Bittencourt Dias Vieira Centro Universitário Estadual da Zona Oeste (UEZO), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Janaína dos Santos Nascimento Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Rio de Janeiro (IFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3855/jidc.9894

Keywords:

Acinetobacter baumannii/calcoaceticus, antimicrobial substance, foodborne pathogens, bacteriocin

Abstract

Introduction: Antimicrobial substances (AMS) produced by bacteria may reduce or prevent the growth of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms in food. In this study, 16 isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii/calcoaceticus (ABC) complex, previously obtained from reconstituted infant milk formula (IMF) samples and the preparation and distribution utensils from the nursery of a public hospital, were used to screen for AMS production.

Methodology: Antimicrobial substance production and spectrum of activity assays were performed by agar-spot assay. Optimization of growth conditions for AMS production was also evaluated.

Results: Three (17.6%) isolates, namely JE3, JE4, and JE6, produced AMS against the principal indicator strain Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serotype Typhi ATCC 19214. JE6 was also able to inhibit strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus vulgaris, and Bacillus cereus, a Gram-positive bacteria. Remarkably, JE6 was able to inhibit all the tested resistant and multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains of the ABC complex and Shigella dysenteriae associated with IMF and utensils, indicating a potentially valuable application. AMS produced by JE6 does not appear to be affected by proteolytic enzymes and the producer strain showed specific immunity to its own AMS.

Conclusion: This study highlights AMS produced by Acinetobacter with applications against MDR spoilage and foodborne pathogens - some of them, infectious disease causing agents - which, to our knowledge, has not been previously described.

Author Biography

Janaína dos Santos Nascimento, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Rio de Janeiro (IFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Laboratory of Microbiology

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Published

2018-05-31

How to Cite

Conceição CS da, Souza BV, Vieira JMBD, Nascimento J dos S (2018) Pathogen killing pathogen: antimicrobial substance from Acinetobacter active against foodborne pathogens. J Infect Dev Ctries 12:297–304. doi: 10.3855/jidc.9894

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Issue

Vol. 12 No. 05: May 2018

Section

Original Articles

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