Research

Life Sciences & Biotechnology

Title :

Efficacy of natural antimicrobial plant extracts and essential oils in mitigation of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) traits among common bacterial pathogens in food chain system

Area of research :

Life Sciences & Biotechnology

Principal Investigator :

Prof. Raj Kumar Duary, Banaras Hindu University, Uttar Pradesh

Timeline Start Year :

2023

Timeline End Year :

2026

Contact info :

Equipments :

Details

Executive Summary :

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant global threat to public health, affecting both humans and animals, and posing food safety issues. The OECD report predicts that over 2.4 million deaths will be caused by microorganism resistance to antibiotics in western countries in the coming decade, costing up to 3.5 billion dollars per year. AMR in bacterial pathogens, such as Escherichia spp., Salmonella spp., Bacillus spp., Campylobacter spp., Listeria spp., and Clostridium spp., are developing AMR and multi-drug resistance traits. These pathogens are primarily foodborne and related to safety concerns. The main determinants of AMR are antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) associated with food sources like dairy products, meat products, fruits, and vegetables. It is crucial to study the interfaces between animal and human health and environmental factors for allowing AMR or multi-drug resistance patterns in pathogens. Various strategies have been proposed to mitigate AMR traits among bacterial pathogens, including the use of herbal extracts and essential oils (EOs) from different plant sources. EOs are permitted by countries like China, the United States, and the European Unions as food preservatives and alternatives to antibiotics and fungicides. The bioactive constituents of plant extracted oils have pharmaceutical and biological importance as antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-oxidative properties. This study aims to determine AMR among bacterial pathogens from various food and feed sources and explore the potentialities of natural extracts with antibacterial potentials as supplements or additives to tackle AMR issues in animal and human consumption.

Total Budget (INR):

43,45,264

Organizations involved