Holy basil(Tulsi,Ocimum sanctum)is considered to be a pious plant.It is used not only in many of the rituals of Hindus but is also known for its innumerable medicinal qualities.Holy basil leaves(HBLs)are often consume...Holy basil(Tulsi,Ocimum sanctum)is considered to be a pious plant.It is used not only in many of the rituals of Hindus but is also known for its innumerable medicinal qualities.Holy basil leaves(HBLs)are often consumed raw thus it is pertinent to detect the bacteria on Tulsi leaves.This study was conducted to understand the diversity of the aerobically growing microbiome of edible holy basil leaves.A total of 112 samples of leaves were collected from households of six localities in and around Bareilly,India for detecting culturable bacteria growing aerobically.A sum of 579 bacterial isolates belonging to 106 different species was identified.Pantoea agglomerans isolates were detected in 43 samples followed by isolates Virgibacillus pantothenticus(21),Bacillus coagulans(18),Bacillus cereus(17),Geobacillus stearothermophilus(16),Klebsiella pneumoniae(13),Citrobacter freundii(12),Lysinibacillus sphaericus(12),Acinetobacter calcoaceticus(11),Escherichia coli(11),and Xenorhabdus bovienii(11).Isolates of 95 species of bacteria were detected on<10 samples of HBLs.Of 579 isolates,161 isolates detected in 68(60.71%)samples were of putatively good bacteria belonging to eight genera(Bacillus,Brevibacillus,Lysinibacillus,Paenibacillus,Photobacter,Siccibacter,Virgibacillus,Xenoirhabdus)and 23 species.However,418 bacterial isolates detected in 108(96.43%)of the HBL samples were classified as potentially pathogenic for humans and animals belonging to 34 genera and 73 species.There were only four samples(three from Mahanagar and one from Bhojipura)that had no potential pathogenic bacteria detected in this study.The analysis indicated that HBL leaves from the ICAR-IVRI campus had a lower probability(P<0.04)of harbouring good bacteria than samples from Bhojpura,Mahanagar,North City and Rajendra Nagar.Cinnamaldehyde inhibiting 96.72%of the isolates and carvacrol inhibiting 96.37%of the isolates were the best herbal antimicrobials and among antibiotics,meropenem inhibited 98.96%of bacterial isolates.Antimicrobial resistance in non-pathogenic or good bacteria was significantly more common(P<0.01)for ajowan oil but they were more often(P<0.05)susceptible to holy basil oil,lemongrass oil,citral,P.embalica leaf extract,P.longifolia seed oil,nitrofurantoin,ciprofloxacin,chloramphenicol,colistin and minocycline than isolates of potentially pathogenic bacteria.The study concludes that HBLs may harbour both good and bacteria,and should be consumed raw only after proper decontamination.展开更多
基金The research work was supported by grants received from CAAST-ACLH(No.NAHEP/CAAST/2018-19)of ICAR-World Bank-funded National Agricultural Higher Education Project(NAHEP).
文摘Holy basil(Tulsi,Ocimum sanctum)is considered to be a pious plant.It is used not only in many of the rituals of Hindus but is also known for its innumerable medicinal qualities.Holy basil leaves(HBLs)are often consumed raw thus it is pertinent to detect the bacteria on Tulsi leaves.This study was conducted to understand the diversity of the aerobically growing microbiome of edible holy basil leaves.A total of 112 samples of leaves were collected from households of six localities in and around Bareilly,India for detecting culturable bacteria growing aerobically.A sum of 579 bacterial isolates belonging to 106 different species was identified.Pantoea agglomerans isolates were detected in 43 samples followed by isolates Virgibacillus pantothenticus(21),Bacillus coagulans(18),Bacillus cereus(17),Geobacillus stearothermophilus(16),Klebsiella pneumoniae(13),Citrobacter freundii(12),Lysinibacillus sphaericus(12),Acinetobacter calcoaceticus(11),Escherichia coli(11),and Xenorhabdus bovienii(11).Isolates of 95 species of bacteria were detected on<10 samples of HBLs.Of 579 isolates,161 isolates detected in 68(60.71%)samples were of putatively good bacteria belonging to eight genera(Bacillus,Brevibacillus,Lysinibacillus,Paenibacillus,Photobacter,Siccibacter,Virgibacillus,Xenoirhabdus)and 23 species.However,418 bacterial isolates detected in 108(96.43%)of the HBL samples were classified as potentially pathogenic for humans and animals belonging to 34 genera and 73 species.There were only four samples(three from Mahanagar and one from Bhojipura)that had no potential pathogenic bacteria detected in this study.The analysis indicated that HBL leaves from the ICAR-IVRI campus had a lower probability(P<0.04)of harbouring good bacteria than samples from Bhojpura,Mahanagar,North City and Rajendra Nagar.Cinnamaldehyde inhibiting 96.72%of the isolates and carvacrol inhibiting 96.37%of the isolates were the best herbal antimicrobials and among antibiotics,meropenem inhibited 98.96%of bacterial isolates.Antimicrobial resistance in non-pathogenic or good bacteria was significantly more common(P<0.01)for ajowan oil but they were more often(P<0.05)susceptible to holy basil oil,lemongrass oil,citral,P.embalica leaf extract,P.longifolia seed oil,nitrofurantoin,ciprofloxacin,chloramphenicol,colistin and minocycline than isolates of potentially pathogenic bacteria.The study concludes that HBLs may harbour both good and bacteria,and should be consumed raw only after proper decontamination.