Antibiotic resistance of Escherichia coli isolated from Ukrainian Betula verrucosa Ehrh. pollen after microbiological analysis

Abstract

Seven samples of silver birch pollen from different habitat of Ukraine were investigated in order to estimate their contamination with the Enterobacteriaceae family, anaerobic bacteria and fungi. Also resistance of 108 strains of Escherichia coli isolated from seven samples of Ukrainian Betula verrucosa Ehrh. pollen against 5 antibiotics: ampicillin, chloramphenicol, meropenem, ceftriaxone and ofloxacin were determined. Disc diffusion method was used for antibiotic suceptibility testing according to EUCAST 2012. It is established the concentrations of enterobacteria ranged from 0.00 to 4.16 log cfu/g, of anaerobic bacteria – 2.48 to 4.90 log cfu/g and concentration of fungi ranged from 2.48 to 4.14 log cfu/g. Degree of pollen contamination is different depending on the habitats. The resistance of E. coli isolates was determined against ampicillin, chloramphenicol, meropenem and ofloxacin. But intermediate resistance in the 33.3% of E. coli isolates and susceptibility in the 8.3% to ceftriaxone was found out. Antibiotic resistance was evaluated for all samples of pollen in whole.