Emergence of MDR Enterobacter hormaechei RSM5 in Pharma Effluent and its Implications in β-lactam Antibiotic Removal
Swati Srivastava1, Virendra Singh Rana2, Rajni Singh3
1Amity Institute of Microbial Technology, Amity University, Uttar Pradesh, Sector-125, Noida, 201301, India.
Abstract:
Antibiotic resistance poses the biggest threats to global health and development and also to food security. β-lactam antibiotics (BLAs) responsible for the transpeptidation/cross-linking process during cell wall biosynthesis contribute to the maximum resistance. The production of β-lactamase enzyme is a significant contributing factor to the development of antibiotic resistance to β-lactam antibiotics. Unintentional disposal of antibiotics from the manufacturing units of pharma industries to the water bodies enhances the exposure of antibiotics, contributing to resistance. This study describes the presence of > 50 antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains in pharma effluent of Himachal Pradesh, India. Among 54 isolates, 40% showed ampicillin resistance above 100 µg/mL, 13% showed resistance above 5000 µg/mL, and 3 strains showed resistance at 15,000 µg/mL of ampicillin. Enterobacter hormaechei RSM5 showed the highest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and cell viability and was selected for further studies. It produces lactamase (0.24 U/mL) to resist the higher concentration of antibiotics present in the media/effluent and demonstrated resistance against 3 different classes of antibiotics, confirming its status as a multidrug resistance (MDR) strain. The high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of the isolate demonstrated that Enterobacter hormaechei RSM5 can degrade ampicillin within 24 h of incubation in medium/effluent. The emergence of Enterobacter as a pathogen with antibiotic resistance poses a significant health concern that could also be explored for the removal of antibiotics from the effluent at the source. The future of research in this area needs to be open and mindful of new approaches.
Insights
Pharmaceutical effluent harbors antibiotic-resistant bacteria, with Enterobacter hormaechei RSM5 showing high ampicillin resistance and degrading the antibiotic. This highlights a significant threat to public health and potential for bioremediation.
Area of Science:
- Environmental microbiology
- Antimicrobial resistance research
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Antibiotic resistance is a major global health threat, exacerbated by pharmaceutical waste.
- Beta-lactam antibiotics (BLAs) are widely used but contribute significantly to resistance.
- Industrial effluent disposal introduces high concentrations of antibiotics into the environment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains in pharmaceutical effluent.
- To characterize a multidrug-resistant isolate with high ampicillin resistance.
- To explore the potential of resistant bacteria for antibiotic degradation.
Main Methods:
- Isolation and screening of bacterial strains from pharmaceutical effluent.
- Determination of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for ampicillin.
- Identification of bacterial isolates and assessment of antibiotic resistance profiles.
- High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for antibiotic degradation analysis.
Main Results:
- Over 50 antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains were identified in the effluent.
- Enterobacter hormaechei RSM5 exhibited high ampicillin resistance (MIC > 15,000 µg/mL) and produced β-lactamase.
- This multidrug-resistant strain degraded ampicillin by 100% within 24 hours.
- HPLC confirmed the degradation of ampicillin by the isolate.
Conclusions:
- Pharmaceutical effluent is a reservoir for multidrug-resistant bacteria.
- Enterobacter hormaechei RSM5 demonstrates significant ampicillin resistance and degradation capabilities.
- This finding suggests potential for bioremediation of antibiotic-contaminated sites.
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