The effect of papain on some bacterial pathogens in poultry meat

TL;DR

This study examines antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in poultry farms and evaluates papain as a meat preservative to reduce contamination.

Contribution

The study introduces papain as a potential natural meat preservative to mitigate bacterial contamination in poultry.

Findings

Chicken farms had higher microbial loads than turkey farms.

Papain significantly reduced bacterial counts in chilled chicken meat during storage.

Multidrug-resistant E. coli and Salmonella with ESBL/carbapenemase genes were prevalent in poultry samples.

Abstract

The poultry sector is a significant reservoir of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria, posing a substantial threat to public health and food safety. This study quantified farm-level contamination in chickens and turkeys, characterized Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. and their ESBL/carbapenemase encoding genes, and evaluated papain as a meat-preservation agent. A total of 442 samples (cloacal swabs, litter, water, feed, worker hands, meat, and organs) were collected from 12 chicken and 8 turkey farms. The total viable count (TVC), total coliform count (TCC) were enumerated. E. coli and Salmonella were isolated and tested by multiplex PCR for the detection of ESBL/carbapenemase encoding genes. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) phenotypes and blaCTX-M phylogeny were assessed. The effect of papain on chilled chicken meat (12 days) was assessed. The results indicated that microbial loads were higher in chicken than in turkey farms (p < 0.05). Chicken litter showed the highest counts (TVC 7.86 ± 0.25; TCC 6.38 ± 0.09 log10 CFU/g). In chickens, E. coli prevalence was 18.4% (50/272), varying by sample type (p < 0.001), and in turkeys, prevalence was 27.6% (47/170). The ESBL genes in chicken E. coli were blaTEM 100%, blaSHV 90%, blaCTX-M 22%, and blaOXA-1 10%; and the carbapenemases were blaKPC 14%, blaNDM 10%, and blaVIM 6%. Turkey E. coli carried blaTEM (95.7%), blaSHV (85%), blaCTX-M (21.3%), blaOXA-1 (4.3%), blaKPC (10.6%), blaNDM (10.6%, blaVIM 6.4%. Salmonella occurred in 4.0% of chicken and 18.3% of turkey samples. Salmonella isolates with ESBLs from chickens had blaTEM 100%, blaCTX-M 9%, while blaOXA-1 0%; in turkeys; blaTEM 90%, and blaOXA-1 3%. blaKPC was absent in chickens but detected in 13% of turkey isolates. Phylogenetic analyses elucidate the potential transmission pathways. E. coli resisted ampicillin/sulbactam (65–67%); Salmonella resisted ceftriaxone (88–91%) and penicillin (82–86%). Papain significantly lowered TVC/TCC/TEC during storage, delaying spoilage. In conclusion, poultry farms, especially turkey farms, harbor multidrug-resistant E. coli and Salmonella with clinically important ESBL/carbapenemase genes. Prudent antibiotic use, strengthened biosecurity, and papain-based interventions can mitigate food-safety risks.

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