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Journal of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research, 2015, 7(4):987-991

ISSN : 0975-7384
Research Article CODEN(USA) : JCPRC5

Antibacterial activity of marine bacteriocinogenic Lactobacillus casei Lb 28 against clinical

pathogens including multidrug-resistant organisms(MDROs).
Sahnouni F., Matallah-Boutiba A. and Boutiba Z.

Environmental Monitoring Network, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, University of Oran, Algeria
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ABSTRACT

Lactobacillus (Lb.) casei Lb 28, isolated from gastrointestinal tract of marine fish (Sarda sarda ), produce
bacteriocin which has wide spectrum of inhibition against human pathogenic bacteria: S aureus, Escherichia coli,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumonia, Proteus mirabilis, Enterobacter cloacae, Shigella sp, Bacillus
cereus, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis
(MRSE) and penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumonia (PRSP). However, no activity was detected on
vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VRE), Acinetobacter sp. and Candida albicans. The inhibitory activity
of bacteriocinogenic Lb. casei Lb28 was eliminated upon treatment with proteinase K, α-chymotrypsin and trypsin
but was not affected by lipase and α-amylase. Likewise, the antibacterial activity of crude supernatant fluid was
maintained after heating at 121 °C for 20 min, at acidic and neutral pHs (4 – 10). The results obtained in this study
revealed that the ability of bacteriocins produced by LAB of marine fish in inhibiting a wide-range of human
pathogenic is of potential interest for food safety and may have future applications as food preservative and/or
possible antibiotic alternatives.

Key words: marine fish, Lactobacillus casei, bacteriocin, human pathogenic bacteria, antibiotic-resistant
microorganisms.
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INTRODUCTION

With the abusive use of antibiotics, in various areas, scientists all over the world are facing to development and
spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Drug resistance has become a large and growing problem which causes
treatment failures and consequently more severe and longer lasting diseases, increased hospitalization rates, more
deaths, and higher costs to society. Faced with this worrying situation, there is a continuous demand for novel
antimicrobials for clinical, veterinary and food applications. Numerous antibacterial agents are now being
considered, such as bacteriophage [1], probiotic bacteria [2-3] and antimicrobial peptides [4] and bacteriocins [5].

In the past decade, the interest research in bacteriocin , especially from lactic acid bacteria (LAB), has gained great
momentum due to its potential as both a natural food preservative and as therapeutic antibiotics. Bacteriocins are
antimicrobial, proteinaceous compounds with a bactericidal mode of action against bacteria closely related to the
producer strain [6]. Some bacteriocins are active against foodborne pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes,
Clostridium perfringens, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus and spoilage LAB [5].

In the food industry, have been proposed for a long time, as a solution to the problems of food spoilage and food-
borne infections. Up to now, nisin remains the only commercially available and industrially utilized bacteriocin
despite a vast array of bacteriocins being discovered in the past two decades [7]. Whereas for clinical applications,
bacteriocins have been presented as a viable alternative to antibiotics due to the high specificity of some bacteriocins
against Gram-positive human and animal pathogens, including multidrug-resistant nosocomial pathogens such as
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) [8].
Marine Environment contains a huge diversity of microbial populations, many of them are still relatively
uncharacterized and therefore, represent a potentially enormous untapped resource [9]. Lactic acid bacteria,

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especially those isolated from marine fish, have been shown to produce a number of bacteriocin-like substances
[10]. However, few bacteriocins of marine origin have been fully characterized and identified to date [9].

Thus the aim of this study was undertaken to focus on the bacteriocinogenic potential of marine Lactobacillus casei
strains, isolated from marine fish, against human pathogenic bacteria including multidrug-resistant organisms.

EXPERIMENTAL SECTION

2.1 Microorganisms and their maintenance

Previously, Lb. casei Lb 02, Lb 15, Lb 28 and Lb 42 strains were isolated from the gut of marine fish (Sarda
sarda), collected from the coast of Oran – Algeria and were identified as a Gram-positive, nonspore-forming and
catalase negative. Further, they were identified by physiological and biochemical tests as described by [11-12-13]
Carbohydrate fermentation patterns were obtained using API 50 CH (bio Mérieux, France) according to the
manufacturer’s instructions.

Lb. casei strains kept in MRS broth containing 20% (v/v) glycerol at -20 °C and were sub-cultured twice in MRS
broth [14] for activation prior to experimental use. All pathogenic organisms (Table 1) were maintained as frozen
stocks at –20°C in TSBYE (tryptic soy broth supplemented with 6 g l-1 yeast extract) containing 20% (v/v) of
glycerol. The cultures were propagated twice in TSBYE at 30°C for 18 h before use.

The isolates of Klebsiella pneumonia, Enterobacter cloacae, Proteus mirabilis, Shigella sp, methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis; (MRSE) , penicillin-resistant Streptococcus
pneumonia (PRSP), vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VRE) and Acinetobacter sp. were isolated from
different clinical specimens at Mascara hospital – Algeria and were screened for antibiotic resistance according to
criteria of National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS, 2002) and Manual of Antimicrobial
Susceptibility Testing guidelines [15]. The strains (Klebsiella pneumonia, Acinetobacter sp, Enterobacter cloacae,
Shigella sp and Proteus mirabilis) are resistant to several antibiotics.

2.2 Assay for antimicrobial activity

Antimicrobial activity was checked by using the agar-spot test described by [11]. An overnight culture of Lb. casei
strains was spotted on the surface of an MRS plate and incubated for 18 h to 24h at 30°C. Spotted plates were
overlaid with 7 ml of each test strain (106 CFU/ml), imbedded in a thin layer of soft Mueller Hinton Agar (7% (w/v)
agar). After incubation during 24h at 30°C, inhibition was recorded positive in presence of a detectable clearing
zone around the colony of the producer strain.

2.3. Bacteriocin bioassay

Bacteriocin screening was investigated by Agar well diffusion method as described by [16]. The lactobacilli culture
was grown in MRS broth (pH 5.5) at 37 °C for 18-20 h and then was centrifuged at 10,000 rpm for 5 min. The cell-
free supernatant (CFS) of LAB was adjusted to pH 6.5 using 1M NaOH to exclude the antibacterial effect of organic
acids. Inhibitory activity of hydrogen peroxide was eliminated by addition of catalase at a final concentration of
1mg/ml. Untreated and treated (neutralized and neutralized + catalase) cell free supernatants placed in the wells
were allowed to diffuse into the agar for 1 h at room temperature. The plates were then incubated at 37°C in
microaerophilic conditions for 24 h. The diameter of inhibition zone formed around the wells was calculated as the
difference between the diameter of the total inhibition zone and the diameter of the well. The inhibition is noted
positive if the diameter is superior to 2 mm.

2.4. Effect of enzymes, pH, and temperature on bacteriocin activity

Sterile cell-free supernatants (SCFS) at pH 6.5 were treated with the following enzymes (0.2 mg ml-1): proteinase K
(pH 7.0 Sigma USA); trypsin (pH 8.2 Merck, Germany); α chymotrypsin (pH 8.0, Sigma, USA); lipase (pH6 Sigma,
USA), α-amylase (pH 7, Sigma, USA). All these solutions were filter-sterilized and then added to supernatants (v/v,
1/1). Untreated bacteriocin and enzyme solutions were used as controls. All samples and controls were incubated at
37°C for 2h.

To determine the activity of bacteriocins at different pH levels, SCFS was adjusted with sterile 2N NaOH or HCl to
different pH values (2.0, 4.0, 6.0, 8.0, 10.0 and 12.0) and was incubated at 37°C for 2 h. The pH-treated sample was
neutralized to pH 6 and then tested for antibacterial activity.

To evaluate thermostability, aliquots of sterile cell-free supernatant was heated to 60°C, 80°C, 100°C at 15min /30
min, and 121°C/20 min, immediately cooled in ice and tested for antibacterial activity.

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In all the cases the residual activity of treated and untreated samples was determined against the indicator strain
against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) by using agar well diffusion method described above
[16]. All experiments were performed in triplicate.

2.5. Mode of action

Mode of action was checked as described by [17]. 02 ml of SCFS were added to 08 ml of the indicator strain at the
beginning of the exponential phase (4h). Growing cells of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in
TSB broth without SCFS was used as control. Bacterial growth was monitored by measuring the optical density at
600 nm at different time intervals (every 02 hours).

2.6. Statistical analyses All experiments were carried out in triplicate. Statistical analyses were performed using the
STATGRAPHICS. Version 1.4 software (Manugistics Inc., Cambridge, MA). Analysis of variance (ANOVA test)
was used to determine differences between means.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

In the present study, four autochthonous strains of Lb. casei were isolated from gastrointestinal tract of coastal fish:
Atlantic bonito (Sarda sarda). They were screened for their antagonistic activities against human pathogenic
microorganisms as shown in Table 1. All strains showed antibacterial activity against at least one of the target strain
(Figure 1).
Table -1: Inhibitory spectra of Lb. casei strains exhibiting antimicrobial activity (mm)

Indicator strain Strain No Lb02 Lb15 Lb28 Lb42

S. aureus ATCC 25923 23±0,03 27±0,01 28±0,12 26±0,14
E. coli ATCC 25922 25±0,12 12±0,01 24±0,03 18±0,02
P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 14±0,01 12±0,00 26±0,08 23±0,17
K. pneumonia CHU12 - 21±0,05 17±0,02 -
Acinetobacter sp CHU 03 23±0,00 - - 18±0,04
Shigella sp CHU 24 - 23±0,01 25±0,00 24±0,01
E. cloacae CHU 19 22±0,02 17±0,00 21±0,02 26±0,00
P. mirabilis CHU 23 25±0,23 22±0,16 27±0,05 27±0,14
B. cereus CHU 08 16±0,06 26±0,04 19±0, 23 25±0,00
Methicillin-resistant S.aureus (MRSA) MR 04 18±0,01 - 28 ±0,06 27±0,08
Methicillin-resistant S.epidermidis; (MRSE) MR 09 - 13±0,02 20±0,10 -
Vancomycin-résistant E. faecalis (VRE) MR 25 19±0,03 21±0,03 - 28±0,01
Penicillin-resistant S. pneumonia (PRSP) MR 10 14±0,01 13±0,00 22±0,08 17±0,03
C.albicans LUV 01 - - - -

The inhibitory effect, which was observed by the formation of clear and distinct zones around the colony of the
producer strain, may be due to the production of several antibacterial compounds; organic acids, H2O2 or
bacteriocins [18]. No strain has inhibited Candida albican.

Figure 1. Inhibition of Penicillin-resistant S. pneumonia (PRSP) by Lb. casei strains

Lactobacillus casei Lb. 28 and Lb. 42 displayed broad antibacterial activity against several genera of Gram-positive
and Gram-negative bacteria. Moreover a high level of inhibitory activity against S. aureus ATCC 25923,
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Proteus mirabilis was observed.

Only Lb. casei Lb28 kept its antibacterial activity against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in
neutralized and catalase-treated culture supernatants. Also, Addition of proteinase K; trypsin and α- chymotrypsin
stopped their antibacterial activity. The other enzymes tested in our study (α-amylase and lipase) did not cause

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inactivation. This confirmed that carbohydrate and lipid moieties if existing were not required for the inhibitory
activity.

The destruction of the antibactrial activity by proteases suggested that this compound could be a peptide or
bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances (BLIS).These results were comparable to those obtained by [19]. These
authors have confirmed that Lactobacillus casei AP8 and Lactobacillus plantarum H5 isolated from intestinal
bacterial flora of marine fish : beluga (Huso huso) and Persian sturgeon (Acipenser persicus) were able to produce
Table 2. Effect of enzymes, pH and temperature on antibacterial
activity of Lb. casei Lb 28

Treatment Lb 28
α -Chymotrypsin -
proteinase K -
trypsin -
Enzyme
Lipase +
amylase +
Catalase +
pH 4-10
60,80,100°C /15min +
Heat treatment 60,80,100°C /30min +
121°C/20min +

bacteriocin which have a potential inhibitory against pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms such as A.
hydrophila, A.salmonicida, C. perfringens, B. cereus and L. monocytogenes.

Indira K. et al. [20] have revealed that bacteriocin from Lb. casei , fish gut (Mugil cephalus) and prawn muscle
(Peneaus monodon), seems to be ideal for industrial scale production and commercial utilization.

Figure 2. Effect of CFS of Lb. casei Lb 28 on the growth of Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA)

On the other hand, it was observed in other reports that some bacteriocins produced by other strains of LAB
exhibited broad antimicrobial spectrum to both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria including some
antibiotic-resistant strains [21]. Likewise, the antibacterial activity of crude supernatant fluid was maintained after
heating at 121 °C for 20 min , at acidic and neutral pHs (4– 10). These results were similar as some bacteriocins
[19-22].

Exposure of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) to active culture supernatant of Lb. casei Lb28
resulted in a strong decrease of the optical density (Figure 2). After four hours, the optical density (OD600) declined
from 0.89 to 0.52 indicating the bacteriostatic mode of action. Bacteriocins that are produced by LAB can have
bactericidal or bacteriostatic activity [23].

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CONCLUSION

Bacteriocinogenic Lb. casei Lb28 showed a wide spectrum of antibacterial activity against human pathogenic
bacteria including multidrug-resistant organisms. Accordingly, LAB strains derived from marine fish may be of
great interest as a viable alternative for clinical, veterinary and food applications.

Acknowledgment
Authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of Laboratory: Environmental Monitoring Network,
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Oran- Algeria and Ministry of Higher Education and
Scientific Research, Government of Algeria.

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