Resistance and Sensitivity of Meat Lactic Acid Bacteria to Antibiotics

Sixty-seven strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from raw ground pork and beef were studied. Morphological and biochemical studies enabled the strains to be classified in four broad groups. These were atypical streptobacteria, Lactobacillus plantarum , Lactobacillus brevis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides . Antibiotic resistance/sensitivity patterns of these strains to 17 common antibiotics are reported. All 67 strains were sensitive to penicillin, ampicillin, cephaloridine and erythromycin. Most strains were resistant to cloxacillin, methicillin, gentamicin, kanamycin, neomycin, streptomycin, tetracycline, polymyxin B, colistin, novobiocin, and bacitracin. Most strains were sensitive to chloramphenicol and rifampin. MIC studies on tetracycline and chloramphenicol resistant strains showed them to be highly resistant. Population studies of LAB in raw meat were shown to vary in tetracycline resistance (12-58% of total LAB as measured by MRS).