Isolation and Biochemical Characterization of Salmonella From Unpasteurized Sugarcane Juice

Abstract

Fruit juice are extremely popular because of their nutritional worth, mineral richness and vitamin content as well as their affordibility. A lack of knowledge about hygienic practices procedures among vendors leaves goods such as fruit juices susceptible to higher bacterial contamination levels. Increased intake of fruit juice has a direct positive impact on economic status, but it may have detrimental impact as foodborne illness, outbreaks and spoilage issues occur. Globally there are instances of people becoming sick from fruit juices owing to foodborne illness. About 150-177 million people are expected to be affected by this illness by 2030 based on the no. of cases recorded in United States in 2001. Pathogens like enterohaemorrhagic E.coli, Salmonella, etc have all been found in juices. Salmonella is a Gram- negative, oxidase negative, rod- shaped bacterium belongs to the family enterobacteriaceae. It is a intracellular pathogen which can grow and reproduce inside the host cell. Salmonella leads to systemic disease in human body. The role of Salmonella in human illness has been recognized virtually since its discovery in 1885. Therefore, this study is planned out to evaluvate the presence of Salmonella in unpasteurized sugarcane juice. Which were collected from different regions of Shamli and Meerut. The samples were inoculated into T.T broth and incubated at 37° C for 24 hrs followed by streaking on MacConkey agar plates and then BSA plates followed by biochemical characterization. Total 15 samples out of 34 samples found to be positive for Salmonella as they display non-lactose fermenting white colony on BSA, and blue- green colour colony on HEA. A series of biochemical tests was performed, results of these test confirms the presence of Salmonellain the samples. The isolates showed sensitivity to levofloxacin, netillin, and norfloxacin. The zone of inhibition was 20 mm, 10 mm, and 20 mm respectively. And the isolates showed resistance to a no. of antibiotics like ampicillin, imipenam, ceftazidime, cefixime, etc. Antimicrobial effect of Haldi was also tested and Haldi have a significant effect on Salmonella, Hence, it is suggested that natural antimicrobials can be used as an alternate to antibiotics. The Salmonella isolates were resistant to many antibiotics. Therefore there is a need of measuring hygienic protocols and prescribed and limited use of antibiotics to prevent the transfer of resistance gene among the pathogen population.