A technology of experimental studies on the xenobiotic element sorption characteristics of representatives of the intestinal normal flora

Abstract

Modern views on the general level of intoxication of an organism by heavy metals are based solely on the extent of effects on organs and organ systems of macroorganisms while the impacts on representatives of the normal flora and their role in the organism’s mechanisms of detoxification as a whole are not taken into account. We proposed technology of experimental studies based on a complex variety of methods. The technology allows estimating the degree of effects of xenobiotic elements on representatives of the intestinal normal flora and their sorption characteristics, which is an important factor in the assessment of mechanisms of detoxification in oral intoxication. The obtained experimental data indicate high sorption characteristics of lead cations in the studied microorganisms, which, in our view, is primarily associated with microorganisms’ mechanisms of detoxification. The study found that the most pronounced bioaccumulative characteristics for lead were registered in Escherichia coli (65% of the total volume of the elements introduced in the substrate) and, in the case of cadmium, – Enterococcus faecium (33.2%). The minimal accumulation scores were revealed for Lactobacillus acidophilus (42.3% and 5.3%, respectively).