ISOLATION, IDENTIFICATION AND ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE PROFILES OF BACTERIA FROM SPOILED FRUITS IN RAWALAKOT DISTRICT POONCH, AZAD JAMMU AND KASHMIR

Abstract

Fruits play a vital role in human diet by providing essential growth factors such as vitamins and minerals in daily diet which help to live healthy life. Bacteria are important factor for spoilage of fruits. Bacterial degradation first causes softening of tissues as pectin are degraded and the whole fruit may eventually degenerate into a slimy mass. Spoilage refers to any change in fruit condition in which fruit become unacceptable or undesirable for human use. Therefore present study was conducted at Rawalakot, District Pooch AJK, to identify the bacteria (E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus) from spoiled fruit samples as well as to determine the antimicrobial resistance pattern of these isolated bacteria using antibiotic disc diffusion method. For this purpose a total of 100 spoiled fruit samples (50 samples of spoiled apple and 50 samples of spoiled banana) were randomly collected from different locations of Rawalakot including Kharick, Kasaigali, D. Chowk, Nala Bazar and Supply Bazar by random sampling technique. Results of the study showed that out of 50 samples of Banana 25(50%) samples were positive for Staphylococcus aureus and 25(50%) were positive for E. coli. While among 50 samples of Apple 25(50%) were positive for E. coli and 25(50%) were positive for Staphylococcus aureus respectively. For antimicrobial susceptibility test disc diffusion method was followed. S. aureus from apple samples the highest resistance was observed for Sulphamethox 25(100%) and Cefoxtin 25(100%) while for banana the highest %age was recorded for Amoxicillin 25(100%) and Sulphamethox 25(100%) respectively. E. coli from apple samples strains were highly resistant to Erythromycin 22(88%), while for banana the highest percentage was recorded for Amoxicillin 23(92%) and Erythromycin 20(80%).