Differential bacteriostatic effects of sucralose on six species of sucralose‐tolerant environmental bacteria

Abstract

Sucralose is a low‐cost, zero‐calorie, artificial sweetener marketed under the brand name Splenda as an alternative to sugar. It is very stable and due to its ability to withstand the waste water treatment process, heat, acidification, and microbial degradation it is accumulating in the environment. Our objective was to find bacterial species exhibiting sucralose metabolism. Six bacterial species were isolated from sucralose‐exposed local surface waters. These microbes were isolated on sucralose –containing media and classified using traditional methods and 16srRNA gene sequencing. These isolates were cultured in TSB media amended with progressively greater concentrations of sucralose and their growth was measured using spectrophotometery. We refuted our original hypothesis, instead observing bacteriostatic and perhaps bacteriocidal effects on all six sucralose‐tolerant isolates. The efficiency of growth inhibition appeared species specific and directly proportional to the sucralose concentration. Present experiments suggest a mechanism for the bacteriostatic effect. These results will affect how sucralose is viewed to impact naturally occurring populations of environmental microbes.