Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Differently Processed Smoothies and Fresh Produce from Austria
Plant-derived foods are potential vehicles for microbial antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), which can be transferred to the human microbiome if consumed raw or minimally processed. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and the amount of clinically relevant ARGs and mobile genetic el...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-12-01
|
| Series: | Foods |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/1/11 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1841549231751430144 |
|---|---|
| author | Sonia Galazka Valerie Vigl Melanie Kuffner Irina Dielacher Kathrin Spettel Richard Kriz Norbert Kreuzinger Julia Vierheilig Markus Woegerbauer |
| author_facet | Sonia Galazka Valerie Vigl Melanie Kuffner Irina Dielacher Kathrin Spettel Richard Kriz Norbert Kreuzinger Julia Vierheilig Markus Woegerbauer |
| author_sort | Sonia Galazka |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Plant-derived foods are potential vehicles for microbial antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), which can be transferred to the human microbiome if consumed raw or minimally processed. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and the amount of clinically relevant ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in differently processed smoothies (freshly prepared, cold-pressed, pasteurized and high-pressure processed) and fresh produce samples (organically and conventionally cultivated) to assess potential health hazards associated with their consumption. The MGE <i>ISPps</i> and the class 1 integron-integrase gene <i>intI1</i> were detected by probe-based qPCR in concentrations up to 10<sup>4</sup> copies/mL in all smoothies, lettuce, carrots and a single tomato sample. The highest total (2.2 × 10<sup>5</sup> copies/mL) and the most diverse ARG and MGE loads (16/26 targets) were observed in freshly prepared and the lowest prevalences (5/26) and concentrations (4.1 × 10<sup>3</sup> copies/mL) in high-pressure-processed (HPP) smoothies. <i>Bla<sub>CTX-M-1-15</sub></i> (1.2 × 10<sup>5</sup> c/mL) and <i>strB</i> (6.3 × 10<sup>4</sup> c/mL) were the most abundant, and <i>qacEΔ1</i> (95%), <i>bla<sub>TEM1</sub></i> (85%), <i>ermB</i> and <i>sul1</i> (75%, each) were the most prevalent ARGs. <i>QnrS</i>, <i>vanA</i>, <i>sat-4</i>, <i>bla<sub>KPC</sub></i>, <i>bla<sub>NDM-1</sub></i> and <i>bla<sub>OXA-10</sub></i> were never detected. HPP treatment reduced the microbial loads by ca. 5 logs, also destroying extracellular DNA potentially encoding ARGs that could otherwise be transferred by bacterial transformation. The bacterial microbiome, potential pathogens, bacterial ARG carriers and competent bacteria able to take up ARGs were identified by Illumina 16S rRNA gene sequencing. To reduce the risk of AMR spread from smoothies, our data endorse the application of DNA-disintegrating processing techniques such as HPP. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cc99a3bc3e434407bf07cd8e743759ad |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2304-8158 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Foods |
| spelling | doaj-art-cc99a3bc3e434407bf07cd8e743759ad2025-01-10T13:17:30ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582024-12-011411110.3390/foods14010011Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Differently Processed Smoothies and Fresh Produce from AustriaSonia Galazka0Valerie Vigl1Melanie Kuffner2Irina Dielacher3Kathrin Spettel4Richard Kriz5Norbert Kreuzinger6Julia Vierheilig7Markus Woegerbauer8Division of Data, Statistics and Risk Assessment, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety AGES, 1220 Vienna, AustriaDivision of Data, Statistics and Risk Assessment, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety AGES, 1220 Vienna, AustriaDivision of Data, Statistics and Risk Assessment, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety AGES, 1220 Vienna, AustriaInstitute of Water Quality and Resource Management, TU Wien, 1040 Vienna, AustriaDivision of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, AustriaSection Biomedical Science, Health Sciences, FH Campus Wien University of Applied Sciences, 1100 Vienna, AustriaInstitute of Water Quality and Resource Management, TU Wien, 1040 Vienna, AustriaInstitute of Water Quality and Resource Management, TU Wien, 1040 Vienna, AustriaDivision of Data, Statistics and Risk Assessment, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety AGES, 1220 Vienna, AustriaPlant-derived foods are potential vehicles for microbial antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), which can be transferred to the human microbiome if consumed raw or minimally processed. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and the amount of clinically relevant ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in differently processed smoothies (freshly prepared, cold-pressed, pasteurized and high-pressure processed) and fresh produce samples (organically and conventionally cultivated) to assess potential health hazards associated with their consumption. The MGE <i>ISPps</i> and the class 1 integron-integrase gene <i>intI1</i> were detected by probe-based qPCR in concentrations up to 10<sup>4</sup> copies/mL in all smoothies, lettuce, carrots and a single tomato sample. The highest total (2.2 × 10<sup>5</sup> copies/mL) and the most diverse ARG and MGE loads (16/26 targets) were observed in freshly prepared and the lowest prevalences (5/26) and concentrations (4.1 × 10<sup>3</sup> copies/mL) in high-pressure-processed (HPP) smoothies. <i>Bla<sub>CTX-M-1-15</sub></i> (1.2 × 10<sup>5</sup> c/mL) and <i>strB</i> (6.3 × 10<sup>4</sup> c/mL) were the most abundant, and <i>qacEΔ1</i> (95%), <i>bla<sub>TEM1</sub></i> (85%), <i>ermB</i> and <i>sul1</i> (75%, each) were the most prevalent ARGs. <i>QnrS</i>, <i>vanA</i>, <i>sat-4</i>, <i>bla<sub>KPC</sub></i>, <i>bla<sub>NDM-1</sub></i> and <i>bla<sub>OXA-10</sub></i> were never detected. HPP treatment reduced the microbial loads by ca. 5 logs, also destroying extracellular DNA potentially encoding ARGs that could otherwise be transferred by bacterial transformation. The bacterial microbiome, potential pathogens, bacterial ARG carriers and competent bacteria able to take up ARGs were identified by Illumina 16S rRNA gene sequencing. To reduce the risk of AMR spread from smoothies, our data endorse the application of DNA-disintegrating processing techniques such as HPP.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/1/11antibiotic resistance genesantimicrobial resistancesmoothiefresh produceAMRARGs |
| spellingShingle | Sonia Galazka Valerie Vigl Melanie Kuffner Irina Dielacher Kathrin Spettel Richard Kriz Norbert Kreuzinger Julia Vierheilig Markus Woegerbauer Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Differently Processed Smoothies and Fresh Produce from Austria Foods antibiotic resistance genes antimicrobial resistance smoothie fresh produce AMR ARGs |
| title | Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Differently Processed Smoothies and Fresh Produce from Austria |
| title_full | Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Differently Processed Smoothies and Fresh Produce from Austria |
| title_fullStr | Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Differently Processed Smoothies and Fresh Produce from Austria |
| title_full_unstemmed | Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Differently Processed Smoothies and Fresh Produce from Austria |
| title_short | Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Differently Processed Smoothies and Fresh Produce from Austria |
| title_sort | prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes in differently processed smoothies and fresh produce from austria |
| topic | antibiotic resistance genes antimicrobial resistance smoothie fresh produce AMR ARGs |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/1/11 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT soniagalazka prevalenceofantibioticresistancegenesindifferentlyprocessedsmoothiesandfreshproducefromaustria AT valerievigl prevalenceofantibioticresistancegenesindifferentlyprocessedsmoothiesandfreshproducefromaustria AT melaniekuffner prevalenceofantibioticresistancegenesindifferentlyprocessedsmoothiesandfreshproducefromaustria AT irinadielacher prevalenceofantibioticresistancegenesindifferentlyprocessedsmoothiesandfreshproducefromaustria AT kathrinspettel prevalenceofantibioticresistancegenesindifferentlyprocessedsmoothiesandfreshproducefromaustria AT richardkriz prevalenceofantibioticresistancegenesindifferentlyprocessedsmoothiesandfreshproducefromaustria AT norbertkreuzinger prevalenceofantibioticresistancegenesindifferentlyprocessedsmoothiesandfreshproducefromaustria AT juliavierheilig prevalenceofantibioticresistancegenesindifferentlyprocessedsmoothiesandfreshproducefromaustria AT markuswoegerbauer prevalenceofantibioticresistancegenesindifferentlyprocessedsmoothiesandfreshproducefromaustria |