Shaimaa Ghanim Abdullah
Department of Biology, College of Science, Wasit University, Wasit, Iraq
Jawad Kadhim Isa
Department of Biology, College of Science, Wasit University, Wasit, Iraq
ABSTRACT
Probiotics have an assortment of implementations in various domains. Nowadays, probiotics are used as a method to prevent many disorders and treat diseases. In this study, L.plantarum was isolated from breast milk with the intention of studying their properties as probiotics in view of their importance it to infant health. 18 positive samples out of 108 have been isolated and identified, by using selective media (MRS-VA), biochemical tests and molecular diagnosis using the 16S rRNA gene. This study revealed a correlation between the number of deliveries and the presence of L.plantarum (P-Value 0.047), indicating that as the number of births increases, the concentration of L.plantarum in breast milk decreases. whereas there is no relationship between the existence of L.plantarum and mother age, infant age, or type of delivery. The probiotic potential was assessed by determining antibiotic susceptibility through the disc diffusion method. Among the 18 isolates, resistance was observed against vancomycin, gentamicin, and streptomycin respectively, while intermediate resistance was noted for penicillin and chloramphenicol respectively. Conversely, susceptibility was exhibited towards ampicillin, tetracycline, and clindamycin respectively. Notably, none of the isolates exhibited hemolytic activity. Based on these findings, the isolated Lactobacillus plantarum displayed promising probiotic characteristics, highlighting human milk as a potential source of these beneficial bacteria.
Keywords: Lactobacillus Plantarum, Susceptibility, Antibiotics, Probiotic.
