title: Antibiotic resistance versus antimicrobial substances production by gram-negative foodborne pathogens isolated from minas frescal cheese: heads or tails?
abstract: In this study, 15 Gram-negative isolates from Minas Frescal cheese sold in commercial establishments in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were able to produce antimicrobial substances (AMSs). Seven, four, two, one, and one isolates identified as Yersinia, Acinetobacter, Enterobacter, Escherichia, and Hafnia genera, respectively, were considered potentially pathogenic. All 15 AMS(+) isolates were resistant to at least 1 antibiotic; however, 7 strains presented resistance to at least 3 antibiotics from different classes, exhibiting multiresistance profiles. The strains were also subjected to plasmid profile analysis. All isolates presented different plasmid forms with most ranging in size from 1 to 10 kb. Activity against various pathogens associated with food was tested and all 15 AMS(+) showed the same activity spectrum, inhibiting all Escherichia coli and Salmonella strains that were tested. Although restricted, the action spectrum of AMS-producing strains is extremely relevant to the food industry because Gram-negative bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella spp. are most often associated with foodborne illnesses. The findings of this study reveal that even AMS produced by pathogens can have potential applications against other foodborne pathogens.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Microbiologia, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Rio de Janeiro (IFRJ) , Rio de Janeiro, Brazil .
authors.forename: Hugo Figueiredo Botelho
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Damaceno
authors.forename: Claudinei Vieira
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: de Freitas J
authors.forename: Iuri Lourenço
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Marinho
authors.forename: Thomaz Rocha
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Cupertino
authors.forename: Leonardo Emanuel de Oliveira
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Janaína dos Santos
authors.initials: Jdos S
authors.lastname: Nascimento
mesh_terms: D000150:Acinetobacter / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001938:Brazil; D002611:Cheese / Q000382:microbiology*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D004754:Enterobacter / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D020611:Hafnia alvei / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D012475:Salmonella / Q000187:drug effects*; D015007:Yersinia / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents