Characterization of Some Bacteria in the Waters of Chott of Aïn El-Beida in the South of Algeria

Abstract

Hypersaline environments, represented by the chotts, the Sebkhas and the saline soils, etc., are a typical example of extreme environment harboring a particularly interesting microbial flara. In this context, the aim of this word is to try to make a characterization of the bacteria in the waters of the chott of Aïn El-Beida in the region of Ouargla (South Algeria). The water samples taken are characterized by a pH between 6.6 and 8.39, the water is neutral to alkaline water, with a temperature between 8˚C to 10˚C, and an electrical conductivity between 2.4 to 6 ds/m reflecting extremely salty water. These characteristics enabled us to select a microflora specific to this environment. The microbiological analsis of these samples revealed fifteen isolated strains, including the following species: Escherichia coli 2, Flavobacterium meningosepticum, Shigella sp, Aeromonas salmonicida, with a bacterial density that varied between 0.27 × 104 to 2.236 × 104, which may explain why the water in this ecosystem is rich in specific important microflora. The results of NaCl tolerance have revealed to us that certain isolated strains tolerate a NaCl concentration up to 35%, these are euryhaline bacteria. With regard to the antagonist test, the strains (S8) have a strong antifungal capacity, which can be explained by the fact that latter has a significant competitive power against Aspergillus carbonarius and Penicillium sp. The microbial exploration of this specific extreme ecosystem proved successful, as we were able to detect significant specific microbial diversity.