Toxins and mobile antimicrobial resistance genes in Bacillus probiotics constitute a potential risk for One Health

Yifang Cui; Shaolin Wang; Shuangyang Ding; Jianzhong Shen; Kui Zhu

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121266

Toxins and mobile antimicrobial resistance genes in Bacillus probiotics constitute a potential risk for One Health

J Hazard Mater. 2020 Jan 15:382:121266. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121266. Epub 2019 Sep 20.

Authors

Yifang Cui¹, Shaolin Wang², Shuangyang Ding¹, Jianzhong Shen³, Kui Zhu⁴

Affiliations

¹ Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
² Beijing Key Laboratory of Detection Technology for Animal-Derived Food Safety and Beijing Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety, Beijing 100193, China.
³ Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Detection Technology for Animal-Derived Food Safety and Beijing Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety, Beijing 100193, China.
⁴ Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China. Electronic address: zhukcau@gmail.com.

PMID: 31563808
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121266

Abstract

Probiotic microbes conferring health benefits to the hosts have attracted great attention. However, the safety of probiotics is not guaranteed, although the increasing widespread use of probiotics with excellent overall safety records. Here, we performed a systematic evaluation of the safety of commercial Bacillus probiotics intended for usage in humans, animals, plants, aquaculture and environment in China. Nearly half of the 65 isolated Bacillus spp. strains from these commercial probiotic products were capable of producing hazardous toxins. Infections with the representative isolates could cause sepsis, intestinal inflammation and liver injury in different mouse models. Additionally, these isolates harbor multiple antimicrobial resistance genes coupled with mobile genetic elements. Collectively, the capability for producing various toxins and harboring mobile antimicrobial resistance genes in Bacillus probiotics indicates a potential risk for One Health.

Keywords: Antimicrobial resistance; Bacillus; One Health; Probiotics; Toxins.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Bacillus* / genetics
Bacillus* / metabolism
Bacterial Toxins / analysis*
Bacterial Toxins / toxicity
Cell Line
Chlorocebus aethiops
Drug Resistance, Bacterial / genetics*
Female
Genes, Bacterial
Humans
Liver Diseases
Lung Injury
Male
Mice
One Health
Probiotics / analysis*
Risk Assessment
Sepsis

Substances

Bacterial Toxins