Antibiotic Sensitivity of Lactobacilli Isolated From Different Sources in the Odesa Region

Abstract

Recently, possible co-application of probiotics and antibiotics has been widely discussed. This form of combined therapy, because of its commonly recognised advantage, is widely used to prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and induced dysbiosis. Due to the increased application of lactobacilli as probiotics, EFSA has developed a number of requirements concerning their safety and functionality. Every commercial probiotic should be able to obtain the Qualified Presumption of Safety status (QPS). Though QPS is a status attributed to species, individual species differ greatly in their genome content, including those belonging to the genus Lactobacillus. Infectious bacteria and strains that may possess genes responsible for virulence or antibiotic resistance should not be used lest pathogenic genes be passed on to other species. The human gastrointestinal tract, due to the immense amount of bacteria and the close contact between them, is a possible place for gene transfer. The main hazard is the transfer of antibiotic resistance determinants from commensal bacteria and the emergence of resistance to common microbial infections, which can prevent successful antibiotic treatment. A condition of using bacterial strains as probiotics is their safety, in particular, the absence of antibiotic resistance determinants. The purpose of the work was to determine the antibiotic sensitivity/resistance of lactobacilli isolated from different sources in the Odesa region. By the disc diffusion method, it has been determined how sensitive the 13 lactobacilli strains isolated from auto-fermented vegetables, raw meat, and newborn children’s gastrointestinal tract are to 15 antibiotics with different mechanisms of action. It has been established that the sensitivity/resistance depended on the strain and specific antibiotic. An obvious feature of the strains under study was their higher sensitivity to antibiotics that inhibited the synthesis of protein and nucleic acids, as opposed to antibiotics that affected the synthesis of the cell wall and cytoplasmic membrane. The results of the comprehensive research have allowed selecting the Lactobacillus spp. strains O1, B4, 175, M2, and M3 as the most promising for the creation of probiotic preparations.