Insights into the Bacterial Diversity and Detection of Opportunistic Pathogens in Mexican Chili Powder

Abstract

Chili powder is the most frequently consumed spice in Mexican diets. Thus, the dissemination of microorganisms associated with chili powder derived from Capsicum annuum L. is significant during microbial quality analysis, with special attention on detection of potential pathogens. The results presented here describe the initial characterization of bacterial community structure in commercial chili powder samples. Our results demonstrate that, within the domain Bacteria, the most abundant family was Bacillaceae, with a relative abundance of 99% in 71.4% of chili powder samples, while 28.6% of samples showed an average relative abundance of 60% for the Enterobacteriaceae family. Bacterial load for aerobic mesophilic bacteria (AMB) ranged from 104 to 106 cfu/g, while for sporulated mesophilic bacteria (SMB), the count ranged from 102 to 105 cfu/g. Bacillus cereus sensu lato (s.l.) was observed at ca. ˂600 cfu/g, while the count for Enterobacteriaceae ranged from 103 to 106 cfu/g, Escherichia coli and Salmonella were not detected. Fungal and yeast counts ranged from 102 to 105 cfu/g. Further analysis of the opportunistic pathogens isolated, such as B. cereus s.l. and Kosakonia cowanii, using antibiotic-resistance profiles and toxinogenic characteristics, revealed the presence of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) and Metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) in these organisms. These results extend our knowledge of bacterial diversity and the presence of opportunistic pathogens associated with Mexican chili powder and highlight the potential health risks posed by its use through the spread of antibiotic-resistance and the production of various toxins. Our findings may be useful in developing procedures for microbial control during chili powder production.

Volatile Organic Compounds Produced by Kosakonia cowanii Cp1 Isolated from the Seeds of Capsicum pubescens R & P Possess Antifungal Activity

“…Although we analyzed a relatively limited number of samples of Capsicum seeds, it is necessary to continue exploring in order to understand the seed association of K. cowanii with the diverse species of the Capsicum genus in the diverse geographical regions of Mexico so as to determine if the plant genotype, plant species, environment, and soil management practices have an effect on the presence of this bacterial species. This should be performed because previous results have detected the presence of K. cowanii in diverse samples of chili powder [16][17][18]31].…”

“…Also, the great metabolic ability of the Kosakonia genus has been characterized by the diverse strains isolated from insects, plants, human, or other sources [22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30]. Recently, our research group reported the presence of K. cowanii in chili powder via 16s rRNA library sequencing [31], and the isolation of a K. cowanii Ch1 strain with the ability to produce active VOCs against certain fungal pathogens and colonize the seeds of C. annuum L. [32] was also achieved. These results allow us to hypothesize that K. cowanii could be associated with fruits or seeds of C. annuum L.…”

Kosakonia cowanii Ch1 Isolated from Mexican Chili Powder Reveals Growth Inhibition of Phytopathogenic Fungi

“…The Kosakonia genus possess a versatile metabolic ability to colonize different ecological niches with diverse beneficial or detrimental effects [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 13 , 28 ]. Thus, environmental persistence through all of these abiotic stress tolerance features, such as the ability to grow in a wide range of temperatures, pH values, and salt concentrations [ 11 ], makes it possible to explain why Kosakonia was detected in chili powder [ 29 ]. The research approach developed in this study enabled the isolation and characterization of a new strain of nonpathogenic K. cowanii Ch1, at least for serrano pepper ( Capsicum annuum L.), with an important metabolic ability to inhibit mycelial growth in pathogenic fungi through the production during fermentation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).…”

“…On the other hand, genome sequencing revealed that K. cowanii Ch1 has virulence-related genes of invasion, such as flagellar component genes, but not for secretion systems nor for vir / avr genes ( Table 3 ), which might explain the absence of infection symptoms in the leaves and fruits of the serrano pepper ( Capsicum annuum L.) when the pathogenicity test was carried out. However, the colonization of serrano pepper seeds by K. cowanii Ch1 may lead to an important route for the spread of the bacterium and is likely related to the presence of K. cowanii in chili powder [ 29 ]; future investigation may reveal these chemotaxis mechanisms. Additionally, complete genome sequencing of K. cowanii Ch1 revealed the presence of antimicrobial resistance genes ( Table 2 ), which are likely related to the resistance mechanisms of the β-lactam, erythromycin, clindamycin, and vancomycin antibiotics tested; thus, the potential public health risks for this bacterial strain must be evaluated due to its presence in chili powder.…”

Special Issue “Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria in the Environment, Their Resistance and Transfer Mechanisms”

“…Antibiotic resistance profiles of nosocomial pathogens detected in the chili samples revealed the presence of extended spectrum beta lactamases (ESBLs) and Metallo-beta-lactamases. These findings may facilitate developing procedures for microbial monitoring during chili powder production [9].…”