Assessment of bacterial contamination in flaxseed and their antibiotic resistance

Abstract

The study was on the microbial contamination of flaxseed in Dhaka City from October 2023 to June 2024 aimed to identify the presence of harmful microorganisms. Flaxseed were collected from local markets and grocery stores. 56 samples were analyzed in a laboratory by maintaining the standard protocol to determine the presence of targeted bacteria, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, klebsiella pneumonia, Staphylococcus aureus, and their antimicrobial resistance level. The study's findings revealed that 87.5% of the flaxseed samples showed signs of microbial contamination, raising concerns about the potential health risks of consuming flaxseed. Among the isolated organism 28.57% Escherichia coli, 22.45% Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 18.37% Klebsiella pneumoniae and 30.61% Staphylococcus aureus. Multidrug-resistant isolates included 64.29% of E. Coli, and 36.36% of P. aeruginosa, Of the S. aureus isolates, none (0%) were multidrug-resistant, however all (100%) of the K. pneumoniae isolates were. While it is positive that S. aureus did not exhibit multidrug resistance, the high prevalence of this bacteria still poses a significant risk for foodborne illnesses. Additionally, the fact that K. pneumoniae had a lower number of isolates did not diminish the severity of its 100% multidrug resistance. It was particularly alarming and indicated the need to overcome the situation by continuing further research and developing new antibiotics to combat these resistant microbial organisms.