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Bacteria producing antimicrobials against Clostridium difficile isolated from human stool.
Rania Abdelmonem Khattab1, Noha A Ahmed1, Yasser M Ragab1
1Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Kasr Al-Aini, 11562, Cairo, Egypt.
Anaerobe
|April 28, 2020
Summary
Researchers discovered novel bacterial species, Lactobacillus agilis T99A and Clostridium butyricum T58A, producing heat-stable antimicrobial agents effective against Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). These findings offer potential new therapies for recurrent CDI.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Antimicrobial Research
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a significant cause of hospital-acquired illness and mortality globally.
- Recurrent CDI poses a major challenge, necessitating the development of alternative therapeutic strategies.
- Investigating indigenous gut microbiota for novel antimicrobial agents is a promising avenue.
Purpose of the Study:
- To isolate and identify bacterial species from Egyptian individuals' stool exhibiting antimicrobial activity against Clostridium difficile.
- To characterize the nature of the antimicrobial agents produced by these isolates.
- To evaluate the potential of these agents as alternative treatments for CDI.
Main Methods:
- Screening of 123 fecal samples for antimicrobial activity against C. difficile using an agar overlay method.
- Identification of active isolates (Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, Clostridium genera) via 16S rDNA gene sequencing.
- Broth dilution assays to assess the inhibitory effect of concentrated cell-free supernatants (CFSs) from selected isolates.
Main Results:
- Five isolates demonstrated significant inhibition of C. difficile growth (p < 0.001).
- Lactobacillus agilis T99A and Clostridium butyricum T58A produced extracellular antimicrobials.
- The antimicrobial activity was heat-stable (up to 90°C) and resistant to enzymatic and pH variations, with no activity against other bacterial species.
Conclusions:
- Lactobacillus agilis T99A and Clostridium butyricum T58A produce potent, thermo-stable extracellular antimicrobial agents targeting C. difficile.
- These findings highlight the potential of these specific bacterial isolates and their products for developing novel therapies against recurrent CDI.
- Further research into the mechanism and application of these antimicrobial agents is warranted.
