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Resistance of Bacteria Isolates from Cabbage (Brassica oleracea), Carrots (Daucus carota) and Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana

Received: 23 June 2016    Accepted: 7 July 2016    Published: 21 July 2016
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Abstract

Despite the benefits humanity derives from vegetables, they are as well a good source of foodborne illnesses when contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms especially the antibiotic resistant ones. This study evaluated the antibiotic resistance of bacteria isolated from three commonly consumed vegetables; cabbage (Brassica oleracea), carrots (Daucus carota) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in the Kumasi Metropolis in Ghana. The bacteria isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method on Mueller-Hinton agar. A total of 78 bacteria isolates were obtained from the three vegetables with the Gram-positive bacteria accounting for 23.08% (18/78) whilst the Gram-negative bacteria accounted for 76.92% (60/78). The Gram-negative bacteria consisted of Acinectobacter spp., Aeromonas salmonicida, Aeromonas spp., Chryseomonas loteola, Citrobacter spp., Enterobacter cloacae, Enterobacter sakazakii, Erwinia nigrifluence, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Salmonella spp. and Serratia spp. while Gram-positive bacteria consisted of Brevibacillus spp., Brochothrix thermosphacter, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Streptococcus spp. All the Gram-positive bacteria isolates showed 100% resistance to penicillin, ampicillin and flucloxacillin, 88.2% were resistant to cefuroxime with 64.7% resistant to tetracycline and 17.6% resistant to cotrimoxazole but were all sensitive to gentamycin. For the Gram-negative bacteria, 96.7% were resistant to ampicillin with 90% being resistant to cefuroxime, 73.3% and 60% were resistant to chloramphenicol and tetracycline, respectively, but unlike the Gram-positives, 15% of the Gram-negative bacteria were resistant to gentamycin. All the Gram-positive isolates demonstrated multi antibiotic resistance (MAR), with Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus spp. being resistant to seven (7) out of the eight (8) tested antibiotics. For the Gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Salmonella spp., Citrobacter spp. and Enterobacter were resistant to all eight (8) antibiotics. The implication of the findings in this study presents vegetables as a potential vehicle for microbial food poisoning as well as a source of infectious diseases that cannot be treated with commonly used antibiotics. Thus, good practices should be undertaken to reduce if not eliminate contamination of vegetables.

Published in International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences (Volume 5, Issue 4)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijnfs.20160504.20
Page(s) 297-303
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Bacteria, Ghana, Multiple Antibiotic Resistance, Prevalence, Vegetables

References
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Cite This Article
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    Golly Moses Kwaku, Salifu Pandam Samson, Mills-Robertson Felix Charles. (2016). Resistance of Bacteria Isolates from Cabbage (Brassica oleracea), Carrots (Daucus carota) and Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana. International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences, 5(4), 297-303. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnfs.20160504.20

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    Golly Moses Kwaku; Salifu Pandam Samson; Mills-Robertson Felix Charles. Resistance of Bacteria Isolates from Cabbage (Brassica oleracea), Carrots (Daucus carota) and Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana. Int. J. Nutr. Food Sci. 2016, 5(4), 297-303. doi: 10.11648/j.ijnfs.20160504.20

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    AMA Style

    Golly Moses Kwaku, Salifu Pandam Samson, Mills-Robertson Felix Charles. Resistance of Bacteria Isolates from Cabbage (Brassica oleracea), Carrots (Daucus carota) and Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana. Int J Nutr Food Sci. 2016;5(4):297-303. doi: 10.11648/j.ijnfs.20160504.20

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijnfs.20160504.20,
      author = {Golly Moses Kwaku and Salifu Pandam Samson and Mills-Robertson Felix Charles},
      title = {Resistance of Bacteria Isolates from Cabbage (Brassica oleracea), Carrots (Daucus carota) and Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana},
      journal = {International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences},
      volume = {5},
      number = {4},
      pages = {297-303},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijnfs.20160504.20},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnfs.20160504.20},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijnfs.20160504.20},
      abstract = {Despite the benefits humanity derives from vegetables, they are as well a good source of foodborne illnesses when contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms especially the antibiotic resistant ones. This study evaluated the antibiotic resistance of bacteria isolated from three commonly consumed vegetables; cabbage (Brassica oleracea), carrots (Daucus carota) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in the Kumasi Metropolis in Ghana. The bacteria isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method on Mueller-Hinton agar. A total of 78 bacteria isolates were obtained from the three vegetables with the Gram-positive bacteria accounting for 23.08% (18/78) whilst the Gram-negative bacteria accounted for 76.92% (60/78). The Gram-negative bacteria consisted of Acinectobacter spp., Aeromonas salmonicida, Aeromonas spp., Chryseomonas loteola, Citrobacter spp., Enterobacter cloacae, Enterobacter sakazakii, Erwinia nigrifluence, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Salmonella spp. and Serratia spp.  while Gram-positive bacteria consisted of Brevibacillus spp., Brochothrix thermosphacter, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Streptococcus spp.  All the Gram-positive bacteria isolates showed 100% resistance to penicillin, ampicillin and flucloxacillin, 88.2% were resistant to cefuroxime with 64.7% resistant to tetracycline and 17.6% resistant to cotrimoxazole but were all sensitive to gentamycin. For the Gram-negative bacteria, 96.7% were resistant to ampicillin with 90% being resistant to cefuroxime, 73.3% and 60% were resistant to chloramphenicol and tetracycline, respectively, but unlike the Gram-positives, 15% of the Gram-negative bacteria were resistant to gentamycin. All the Gram-positive isolates demonstrated multi antibiotic resistance (MAR), with Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus spp. being resistant to seven (7) out of the eight (8) tested antibiotics. For the Gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Salmonella spp., Citrobacter spp. and Enterobacter were resistant to all eight (8) antibiotics. The implication of the findings in this study presents vegetables as a potential vehicle for microbial food poisoning as well as a source of infectious diseases that cannot be treated with commonly used antibiotics. Thus, good practices should be undertaken to reduce if not eliminate contamination of vegetables.},
     year = {2016}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Resistance of Bacteria Isolates from Cabbage (Brassica oleracea), Carrots (Daucus carota) and Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana
    AU  - Golly Moses Kwaku
    AU  - Salifu Pandam Samson
    AU  - Mills-Robertson Felix Charles
    Y1  - 2016/07/21
    PY  - 2016
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnfs.20160504.20
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ijnfs.20160504.20
    T2  - International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences
    JF  - International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences
    JO  - International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences
    SP  - 297
    EP  - 303
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2327-2716
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnfs.20160504.20
    AB  - Despite the benefits humanity derives from vegetables, they are as well a good source of foodborne illnesses when contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms especially the antibiotic resistant ones. This study evaluated the antibiotic resistance of bacteria isolated from three commonly consumed vegetables; cabbage (Brassica oleracea), carrots (Daucus carota) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in the Kumasi Metropolis in Ghana. The bacteria isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method on Mueller-Hinton agar. A total of 78 bacteria isolates were obtained from the three vegetables with the Gram-positive bacteria accounting for 23.08% (18/78) whilst the Gram-negative bacteria accounted for 76.92% (60/78). The Gram-negative bacteria consisted of Acinectobacter spp., Aeromonas salmonicida, Aeromonas spp., Chryseomonas loteola, Citrobacter spp., Enterobacter cloacae, Enterobacter sakazakii, Erwinia nigrifluence, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Salmonella spp. and Serratia spp.  while Gram-positive bacteria consisted of Brevibacillus spp., Brochothrix thermosphacter, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Streptococcus spp.  All the Gram-positive bacteria isolates showed 100% resistance to penicillin, ampicillin and flucloxacillin, 88.2% were resistant to cefuroxime with 64.7% resistant to tetracycline and 17.6% resistant to cotrimoxazole but were all sensitive to gentamycin. For the Gram-negative bacteria, 96.7% were resistant to ampicillin with 90% being resistant to cefuroxime, 73.3% and 60% were resistant to chloramphenicol and tetracycline, respectively, but unlike the Gram-positives, 15% of the Gram-negative bacteria were resistant to gentamycin. All the Gram-positive isolates demonstrated multi antibiotic resistance (MAR), with Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus spp. being resistant to seven (7) out of the eight (8) tested antibiotics. For the Gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Salmonella spp., Citrobacter spp. and Enterobacter were resistant to all eight (8) antibiotics. The implication of the findings in this study presents vegetables as a potential vehicle for microbial food poisoning as well as a source of infectious diseases that cannot be treated with commonly used antibiotics. Thus, good practices should be undertaken to reduce if not eliminate contamination of vegetables.
    VL  - 5
    IS  - 4
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Hospitality and Tourism Department, Sunyani Polytechnic, Sunyani, Ghana

  • Biochemistry and Biotechnology Department, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

  • Biochemistry and Biotechnology Department, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

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