Bioremediation of Penicillin-Contaminated Poultry Faecal Waste using Betalactamase-Producing Bacteria

Abstract

The widespread use of antibiotics in poultry farming has led to the contamination of the environment with antibiotic residues, posing significant risks to human health and contributing to the development of antibiotic resistance. In this study, we aimed to isolate betalactamase-producing bacteria from poultry faecal waste samples obtained from local poultry processing industries in Namakkal, Tamilnadu, India. The potential isolates were further characterized for betalactamase enzyme activity and their ability to degrade penicillin, a commonly used antibiotic in the poultry industry. Twenty poultry faecal waste samples were collected from regular poultry waste dumping sites. Microorganisms were isolated from these samples using the serial dilution and plating method on nutrient agar media. The isolated bacterial colonies were purified to obtain pure cultures for further analysis. The betalactamase-producing isolates were identified using the iodometric tube method, and four out of ten isolates showed positive results for betalactamase activity. These positive isolates were subjected to enzyme assay, and isolate 10 exhibited the highest enzyme activity with a concentration of 43U/ml, followed by isolate 7 with 30.5U/ml of enzyme. The potential betalactamase-producing isolate 10 was selected for its application in the degradation of penicillin in poultry faecal waste. The faecal waste samples were collected from the antibiotic-contaminated area of a poultry farm. After the addition of separated crude enzyme (5ml of 100U), the faecal sample was incubated for 15 days under specific conditions. HPLC analysis revealed a significant degradation of penicillin in the test sample treated with the betalactamase enzyme, with a degradation percentage of 48.6%. The results of this study indicate that betalactamase-producing bacteria can effectively degrade penicillin in poultry faecal waste. This bioremediation approach presents a potential solution to reduce antibiotic pollution in the environment and mitigate the risk of antibiotic resistance. Further research and application of such enzymatic degradation methods could contribute to sustainable and eco-friendly waste management practices in the poultry industry.