Isolation, identification and antibiogram profiling of bacteria isolated from water, seafood, and macroplastic samples from Baseco Beach, Manila Bay

Background and Objective@#Manila Bay plays an important role both in economics and ecology because it serves as the major economic center of the Philippines and as it harbors different habitats and biodiversity. Unfortunately, it is threatened by various pollutions including the unregulated discharge of wastewater from industrial, agricultural, and household sectors and improper disposal of trash such as macroplastics among others. All these contributes to the current state of Manila Bay. This study identified bacteria isolated from water, seafood and floating macroplastic samples from Baseco Beach, Manila Bay and determined their antibiogram profiles. @*Methodology@#Bacterial isolates were obtained from water, seafoods and macroplastic samples from Baseco Beach, Manila Bay using conventional culture techniques. Identification of the isolates was done using Vitek-2 Automated System and antibiogram profiling was done using Kirby-Bauer Disk Diffusion Susceptibility Test. @*Results and Conclusions@#A total of 30 bacterial isolates were obtained from different samples from water, seafood and macroplastic samples from Baseco Beach, Manila Bay. These isolates were identified and found to belong to 13 different bacterial species with Bacillus spp. comprising 33.33% of the isolates (10 out of 30), and Vibrio alginolyticus comprising 23.33% of the isolates (7 out of 30) and the other species comprise the remaining 43.34% (Pseudomonas spp., Vibrio fluvialis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Shewanella alga, Sphingomonas paucimobilis, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Chryseobacterium indologenes, Myroides sp. and Aeromonas salmonicida). Of these, six out of 30 isolates (20%) showed susceptibility to all six representative antibiotics used (Cefazolin 30μg, Gentamicin 10 μg, Chloramphenicol 30 μg, ampicillin 10 μg, Cefuroxime 30 μg, Ceftazidime 30 μg) while 7 isolates (23.33%) were resistant to only one class of antibiotic. Moreover, 17 out of 30 isolates (56.66%) were resistant to two or more classes of antibiotic while only one isolate (3.33%) was found to be resistant to gentamicin. All 30 isolates (100%) were susceptible to chloramphenicol. Interestingly, three antibiotic resistant (AMR) bacteria were isolated from macroplastics namely Pseudomonas oleovorans (S2), Vibrio alginolyticus (S5), and Pseudomonas alcaligenes (S29) which were all resistant to ampicillin and cefazolin. This is the first study in the Philippines to isolate AMR bacteria from macroplastics from Manila Bay. The presence of AMR bacteria in macroplastics shows that these materials can be a reservoir for its dynamics and distribution. Lastly, with the emergence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria, the elucidation of the antibiogram profile of bacteria is necessary to determine its implication sand threats to public health. This study served as a baseline study of presence of AMR bacteria in macroplastic samples from Manila Bay.

Genetic polymorphisms in NAT1, NAT2, GSTM1, GSTP1 and GSTT1 and susceptibility to colorectal cancer among Filipinos

@#Objectives. Polymorphisms in metabolic genes which alter rates of bioactivation and detoxification have been shown to modulate susceptibility to colorectal cancer. This study sought to evaluate the colorectal cancer risk from environmental factors and to do polymorphism studies on genes that code for Phase I and II xenobiotic metabolic enzymes among Filipino colorectal cancer patients and matched controls. Methods. A total of 224 colorectal cancer cases and 276 controls from the Filipino population were genotyped for selected polymorphisms in GSTM1, GSTP1, GSTT1, NAT1 and NAT2. Medical and diet histories, occupational exposure and demographic data were also collected for all subject participants.Results. Univariate logistic regression of non-genetic factors identified exposure to UV (sunlight) (OR 1.99, 95% CI: 1.16-3.39) and wood dust (OR 2.66, 95% CI: 1.21-5.83) and moldy food exposure (OR 1.61, 95% CI:1.11-2.35) as risk factors; while the NAT2*6B allele (recessive model OR 1.51, 95% CI :1.06-2.16; dominant model OR 1.87, 95% CI: 1.05-3.33) and homozygous genotype (OR 2.19, 95% CI: 1.19-4.03) were found to be significant among the genetic factors. After multivariate logistic regression of both environmental and genetic factors, only UV radiation exposure (OR 2.08, 95% CI: 1.21-3.58) and wood dust exposure (OR 2.08, 95% CI: 0.95-5.30) remained to be significantly associated with increasing colorectal cancer risk in the study population.Conclusion. This study demonstrated that UV sunlight and wood dust exposure play a greater role in influencing colorectal cancer susceptibility than genotype status from genetic polymorphisms of the GST and the NAT` genes.