Microbiological analysis, antimicrobial activity, and heavy-metals content of Jordanian Ma'in hot-springs water

Muhamad Ali K Shakhatreh; Jacob H Jacob; Emad I Hussein; Majed M Masadeh; Safwan M Obeidat; Abdul-Salam F Juhmani; Mutaz A Abd Al-Razaq

doi:10.1016/j.jiph.2017.01.010

Microbiological analysis, antimicrobial activity, and heavy-metals content of Jordanian Ma'in hot-springs water

J Infect Public Health. 2017 Nov-Dec;10(6):789-793. doi: 10.1016/j.jiph.2017.01.010. Epub 2017 Feb 14.

Authors

Muhamad Ali K Shakhatreh¹, Jacob H Jacob², Emad I Hussein³, Majed M Masadeh⁴, Safwan M Obeidat⁵, Abdul-Salam F Juhmani⁶, Mutaz A Abd Al-Razaq³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Jordan University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 3030, Irbid, 22110, Jordan. Electronic address: mkshakhatreh@just.edu.jo.
² Department of Biological Sciences, Al al-Bayt University, Al-Mafraq, Jordan.
³ Department of Biological Sciences, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan.
⁴ Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan.
⁵ Department of Chemistry, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan.
⁶ Department of Biological Sciences, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan; Department of Environmental Science, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Italy.

PMID: 28214187
DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2017.01.010

Abstract

Ma'in hot springs are known as sites of balneotherapy. However, little is known about their microbiology and chemistry. In this study, we aim at evaluating the antimicrobial activity of Ma'in hot-springs water (MHSW), studying its microbiology, and determining its physicochemical properties including the heavy metals content. Therefore, water samples were collected from Ma'in hot springs and tested for antimicrobial activity using agar diffusion method. Water was then cultivated on nutrient agar to isolate and identify the dominant bacteria by chemical and molecular methods. The identified strains were tested by cross streak method to evaluate their antimicrobial activity against different clinical and standard strains. Finally, water samples were chemically analyzed and the heavy-metals content was assessed. Results revealed that MHSW was not active against any of the clinical isolates. Nevertheless, MHSW was found to be active against five standard bacterial strains, namely, Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC 12228 (inhibition zone: 20mm), Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 (inhibition zone: 19mm), Micrococcus luteus ATCC 9341 (inhibition zone: 15.3mm), and Bacillus cereus ATCC 11778 (inhibition zone: 12.3mm). After cultivation of MHSW, five bacterial isolates were obtained and identified based on 16S rRNA gene analysis as new strains of Anoxybacillus flavithermus (identity percentage ranges between 96-99%). Physicochemical analysis revealed that the in situ temperature was 59°C, pH was 7.8, salinity was 1.6ppt, and dissolved oxygen was 3.8mgl^-1. In respect to heavy-metals content in MHSW, the following metals were present in the order: Cr (0.571ppm)>Mn(0.169ppm)>Fe (0.124ppm)>Zn (0.095)>Cu(0.070ppm)>Ni(0.058ppm)>Cd (0.023ppm)>Pb (0ppm). Cd, Cr, Ni and Mn were found to be higher than permissible levels set by international organizations and countries. This study highlights new chemical and microbiological data about Ma'in hot springs.

Keywords: Antimicrobial activity; Balneotherapy; Heavy metals; Ma’in hot springs; Thermophilic bacteria; Water microbiology.

MeSH terms

Anti-Infective Agents / analysis*
Bacteria / classification*
Bacteria / genetics
Bacteria / isolation & purification*
Cluster Analysis
DNA, Bacterial / chemistry
DNA, Bacterial / genetics
DNA, Ribosomal / chemistry
DNA, Ribosomal / genetics
Hot Springs / chemistry*
Hot Springs / microbiology*
Jordan
Metals, Heavy / analysis*
Microbial Sensitivity Tests
Phylogeny
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics
Sequence Analysis, DNA

Substances

Anti-Infective Agents
DNA, Bacterial
DNA, Ribosomal
Metals, Heavy
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S