Screening and Characterization of Waterborne E. coli from Children with Diarrheal Infections and Evaluation of the Bactericidal Efficacy of Plant Extracts and Nanoparticles Against Pathogenic Isolates.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.38211/jms.2025.04.83Keywords:
Diarrhea, Antibiotic susceptibility, Nanoparticles, Plant extractsAbstract
Bacterial infections including diarrhea are most common among children. Current study involved the screening of pathogenic E. coli from children with diarrheal infections. Stool samples were collected from pediatric departments of public hospitals aseptically using autoclaved swabs containing Cary Blair transporting medium. Six diarrheal stool samples were spread on EMB agar media. All samples showed the presence of E. coli except one sample. Isolated bacterial colonies were streaked on nutrient agar plates for pure culture. Pathogenicity test was done using blood agar medium. Two strains exhibited beta hemolysis. Antibacterial activity of different biological agents such as antibiotics, nanoparticles and plant extract were also studied. Seven antibiotics solutions (Amoxicillin, ceftriaxone, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, oxytetracycline, Doxycycline, Azomax) and one antibiotic disc (Meronem) were applied to check the resistance/sensitivity of bacterial strains against them by well diffusion method and disk diffusion method respectively. The zones of inhibition of these antibiotics or antibiotic susceptibility for all these strains were different. Four silver nanoparticles of Cassia fistula, Eucalyptus, Azadiracta indica, calotropis proceri and four plant extracts (Cassia fistula, Euclyptus, Azadiracta indica, calotropis proceri) were applied against isolated E. coli strains. The zone of inhibition of these nanoparticles and plant extracts for all these strains were different. Strain 2 showed maximum sensitivity against Meronem with 12mm Zone of inhibition while same strain was resistant against chloramphenicol, Doxycycline and oxytetracyclin. Bacterial isolates were resistant against plant extracts but showed susceptibility against nanoparticles. It can be concluded from current study that E. coli is associated with diarrheal infections among children. The prevalence of this infection can be prevented via hygienic conditions and proper treatment using different antibacterial agents.
References
Ahmed, S., Saifullah, Ahmed, M., Swami, B.L. and Ikram, S., 2016. Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Azadirachta indica aqueous leaf extract. J. Radiat. Res. Appl. Sci., 9:1-7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrras.2015.06.006
Khajanchi BK, Fadl AA, Borchardt MA, Berg RL, Horneman AJ, Stemper ME, Joseph SW, Moyer NP, Sha J, Chopra AK. Distribution of virulence factors and molecular fingerprinting of Aeromonas species isolates from water and clinical samples: suggestive evidence of water-to-human transmission. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2010 Apr;76(7):2313-25. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.02535-09
Ikram, S. (2015). Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Azadirachta indica aqueous leaf extract. Journal of Radiation Research and Applied Sciences, 30(1), e7.
Al-Hilli, Z. B. (2010). Dissemination of β-lactamases in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. isolated from Merjan teaching hospital in Hilla city. College of Science, University of Kufa.
Bouzari, S., Oloomi, M., Aslani, M., & Jafari, A. (2010). Phenotypic and Genotypic Characterization of Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) strains in Tehran, Iran. Iranian Journal of Microbiology, 2(1), 3-7.
Bruna, T., Maldonado-Bravo, F., Jara, P., & Caro, N. (2021). Silver nanoparticles and their antibacterial applications. International journal of molecular sciences, 22(13), 7202. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22137202
Senthamarai, S., Sivasankari, S., Anitha, C., Somasunder, V., Kumudhavathi, M. S., Amshavathani, S. K., & Venugopal, V. (2014). Resistance pattern of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a tertiary care hospital of Kanchipuram, Tamilnadu, India. Journal of clinical and diagnostic research: JCDR, 8(5), DC30. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2014/7953.4388
Fischer, S. A., Harris, A. A., Segreti, J., Goodman, L. J., Langkop, C., Swartz, M., & Trenholme, G. M. (1996). Screening for Escherichia coli O157: H7 in Illinois. Clinical Microbiology and Infection, 1(3), 175-178. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-0691.1996.tb00549.x
Franci, G., Falanga, A., Galdiero, S., Palomba, L., Rai, M., Morelli, G., & Galdiero, M. (2015). Silver nanoparticles as potential antibacterial agents. Molecules, 20(5), 8856-8874. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules20058856
Majeed, H. T., & Aljanaby, A. A. J. (2019). Antibiotic susceptibility patterns and prevalence of some extended spectrum beta-lactamases genes in gram-negative bacteria isolated from patients infected with urinary tract infections in Al-Najaf City, Iraq. Avicenna journal of medical biotechnology, 11(2), 192.
Hari, A. and Bose, V.G., (2021). Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles: Characterization and Antimicrobial Activity of Synergistic Herbal Formulation Derived from Cassia fistula and Manikara zapota Plants. Gorteria J., 34:1-10.
Jafari, F., Shokrzadeh, L., Hamidian, M., Salmanzadeh-Ahrabi, S., & Zali, M. R. (2008). Acute diarrhea due to enteropathogenic bacteria in patients at hospitals in Tehran. Japanese journal of infectious diseases, 61(4), 269-273. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7883/yoken.JJID.2008.269
Mansan-Almeida, R., Pereira, A. L., & Giugliano, L. G. (2013). Diffusely adherent Escherichia coli strains isolated from children and adults constitute two different populations. BMC microbiology, 13, 1-14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2180-13-22
Pitout, J. D., Nordmann, P., Laupland, K. B., & Poirel, L. (2005). Emergence of Enterobacteriaceae producing extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) in the community. Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy, 56(1), 52-59. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jac/dki166
Priyadarshini, S., Sulava, S., Bhol, R., & Jena, S. (2019). Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Azadirachta indica and Ocimum sanctum leaf extract. Current Science, 117(8), 1300-1307. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs/v117/i8/1300-1307
Trabulsi, L. R., Keller, R., & Gomes, T. A. T. (2002). 10.321/eid0805. Typical and Atypical Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli. Emerging infectious diseases, 8(5), 508. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3201/eid0805.010385
Vila, J., Ruiz, J., Gallardo, F., Vargas, M., Soler, L., Figueras, M. J., & Gascon, J. (2003). Aeromonas spp. and traveler’s diarrhea: clinical features and antimicrobial resistance. Emerging infectious diseases, 9(5), 552. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3201/eid0905.020451
Wang, L., Hu, C., & Shao, L. (2017). The antimicrobial activity of nanoparticles: present situation and prospects for the future. International journal of nanomedicine, 1227-1249. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2147/IJN.S121956
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Ayesha Shahid, Sara Hayee, Muhammad Ahsan Raza, Nazish Mazhar Ali , Hamna Junaid, Samreen Riaz
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
