Enteropathogenic Potential of <i>Bacillus thuringiensis</i> Isolates from Soil, Animals, Food and Biopesticides
Despite its benefits as biological insecticide, <i>Bacillus thuringiensis</i> bears enterotoxins, which can be responsible for a diarrhoeal type of food poisoning. Thus, all 24 isolates from foodstuffs, animals, soil and commercially used biopesticides tested in this study showed the gen...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2020-10-01
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| Series: | Foods |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/9/10/1484 |
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| author | Valerie Schwenk Janina Riegg Monique Lacroix Erwin Märtlbauer Nadja Jessberger |
| author_facet | Valerie Schwenk Janina Riegg Monique Lacroix Erwin Märtlbauer Nadja Jessberger |
| author_sort | Valerie Schwenk |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Despite its benefits as biological insecticide, <i>Bacillus thuringiensis</i> bears enterotoxins, which can be responsible for a diarrhoeal type of food poisoning. Thus, all 24 isolates from foodstuffs, animals, soil and commercially used biopesticides tested in this study showed the genetic prerequisites necessary to provoke the disease. Moreover, though highly strain-specific, various isolates were able to germinate and also to actively move, which are further requirements for the onset of the disease. Most importantly, all isolates could grow under simulated intestinal conditions and produce significant amounts of enterotoxins. Cytotoxicity assays classified 14 isolates as highly, eight as medium and only two as low toxic. Additionally, growth inhibition by essential oils (EOs) was investigated as preventive measure against putatively enteropathogenic <i>B. thuringiensis</i>. Cinnamon Chinese cassia showed the highest antimicrobial activity, followed by citral, oregano and winter savory. In all tests, high strain-specific variations appeared and must be taken into account when evaluating the hazardous potential of <i>B. thuringiensis</i> and using EOs as antimicrobials. Altogether, the present study shows a non-negligible pathogenic potential of <i>B. thuringiensis</i>, independently from the origin of isolation. Generally, biopesticide strains were indistinguishable from other isolates. Thus, the use of these pesticides might indeed increase the risk for consumers’ health. Until complete information about the safety of the applied strains and formulations is available, consumers or manufacturers might benefit from the antimicrobial activity of EOs to reduce the level of contamination. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:32:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9059bba189c04f1d97bdc7f4efa29c75 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2304-8158 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:32:37Z |
| publishDate | 2020-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Foods |
| spelling | doaj.art-9059bba189c04f1d97bdc7f4efa29c752023-11-20T17:30:10ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582020-10-01910148410.3390/foods9101484Enteropathogenic Potential of <i>Bacillus thuringiensis</i> Isolates from Soil, Animals, Food and BiopesticidesValerie Schwenk0Janina Riegg1Monique Lacroix2Erwin Märtlbauer3Nadja Jessberger4Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Schönleutnerstr. 8, 85764 Oberschleißheim, GermanyDepartment of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Schönleutnerstr. 8, 85764 Oberschleißheim, GermanyCentre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, 531, boul. des Prairies, Laval, QC H7V 1B7, CanadaDepartment of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Schönleutnerstr. 8, 85764 Oberschleißheim, GermanyDepartment of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Schönleutnerstr. 8, 85764 Oberschleißheim, GermanyDespite its benefits as biological insecticide, <i>Bacillus thuringiensis</i> bears enterotoxins, which can be responsible for a diarrhoeal type of food poisoning. Thus, all 24 isolates from foodstuffs, animals, soil and commercially used biopesticides tested in this study showed the genetic prerequisites necessary to provoke the disease. Moreover, though highly strain-specific, various isolates were able to germinate and also to actively move, which are further requirements for the onset of the disease. Most importantly, all isolates could grow under simulated intestinal conditions and produce significant amounts of enterotoxins. Cytotoxicity assays classified 14 isolates as highly, eight as medium and only two as low toxic. Additionally, growth inhibition by essential oils (EOs) was investigated as preventive measure against putatively enteropathogenic <i>B. thuringiensis</i>. Cinnamon Chinese cassia showed the highest antimicrobial activity, followed by citral, oregano and winter savory. In all tests, high strain-specific variations appeared and must be taken into account when evaluating the hazardous potential of <i>B. thuringiensis</i> and using EOs as antimicrobials. Altogether, the present study shows a non-negligible pathogenic potential of <i>B. thuringiensis</i>, independently from the origin of isolation. Generally, biopesticide strains were indistinguishable from other isolates. Thus, the use of these pesticides might indeed increase the risk for consumers’ health. Until complete information about the safety of the applied strains and formulations is available, consumers or manufacturers might benefit from the antimicrobial activity of EOs to reduce the level of contamination.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/9/10/1484<i>Bacillus thuringiensis</i><i>Bacillus cereus</i>food infectionsenterotoxinscytotoxicityessential oils |
| spellingShingle | Valerie Schwenk Janina Riegg Monique Lacroix Erwin Märtlbauer Nadja Jessberger Enteropathogenic Potential of <i>Bacillus thuringiensis</i> Isolates from Soil, Animals, Food and Biopesticides Foods <i>Bacillus thuringiensis</i> <i>Bacillus cereus</i> food infections enterotoxins cytotoxicity essential oils |
| title | Enteropathogenic Potential of <i>Bacillus thuringiensis</i> Isolates from Soil, Animals, Food and Biopesticides |
| title_full | Enteropathogenic Potential of <i>Bacillus thuringiensis</i> Isolates from Soil, Animals, Food and Biopesticides |
| title_fullStr | Enteropathogenic Potential of <i>Bacillus thuringiensis</i> Isolates from Soil, Animals, Food and Biopesticides |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enteropathogenic Potential of <i>Bacillus thuringiensis</i> Isolates from Soil, Animals, Food and Biopesticides |
| title_short | Enteropathogenic Potential of <i>Bacillus thuringiensis</i> Isolates from Soil, Animals, Food and Biopesticides |
| title_sort | enteropathogenic potential of i bacillus thuringiensis i isolates from soil animals food and biopesticides |
| topic | <i>Bacillus thuringiensis</i> <i>Bacillus cereus</i> food infections enterotoxins cytotoxicity essential oils |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/9/10/1484 |
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