Emerging Risks in Food: Probiotic Enterococci Pose a Threat to Public Health through the Food Chain

Wenjiao Xu; Yuwen Fang; Qiao Hu; Kui Zhu

doi:10.3390/foods10112846

Emerging Risks in Food: Probiotic Enterococci Pose a Threat to Public Health through the Food Chain

Wenjiao Xu, Yuwen Fang, Qiao Hu, Kui Zhu^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Journal Publications and Reviews › RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal › peer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)

38 Downloads (CityUHK Scholars)

Abstract

Probiotics have been associated with clinical infections, toxicity, and antimicrobial resistance transfer, raising public concerns. Probiotic enterococci are emerging food risks as opportunistic pathogens, yet little attention has been paid to them. Herein, we collected 88 enterococcal isolates from probiotic products used for humans, companion animals, livestock, and aquaculture. Results showed that all 88 probiotic enterococcal isolates harbored diverse virulence genes, multiple antimicrobial resistance genes, and mobile genetic elements. Notably, 77 isolates were highly resistant to gentamicin. Representative enterococcal isolates exerted toxic activities in both in vitro and in vivo models. Collectively, our findings suggest that probiotic enterococci may be harmful to hosts and pose a potential threat to public health.

Original language	English
Article number	2846
Journal	Foods
Volume	10
Issue number	11
Online published	18 Nov 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10112846
Publication status	Published - Nov 2021
Externally published	Yes

Funding

This study was funded by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2017YFC1600305) and Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission (Z201100008920001).

Research Keywords

Antimicrobial resistance
Enterococci
Probiotic
Toxicity

Publisher's Copyright Statement

This full text is made available under CC-BY 4.0. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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title = "Emerging Risks in Food: Probiotic Enterococci Pose a Threat to Public Health through the Food Chain",

abstract = "Probiotics have been associated with clinical infections, toxicity, and antimicrobial resistance transfer, raising public concerns. Probiotic enterococci are emerging food risks as opportunistic pathogens, yet little attention has been paid to them. Herein, we collected 88 enterococcal isolates from probiotic products used for humans, companion animals, livestock, and aquaculture. Results showed that all 88 probiotic enterococcal isolates harbored diverse virulence genes, multiple antimicrobial resistance genes, and mobile genetic elements. Notably, 77 isolates were highly resistant to gentamicin. Representative enterococcal isolates exerted toxic activities in both in vitro and in vivo models. Collectively, our findings suggest that probiotic enterococci may be harmful to hosts and pose a potential threat to public health.",

keywords = "Antimicrobial resistance, Enterococci, Probiotic, Toxicity",

author = "Wenjiao Xu and Yuwen Fang and Qiao Hu and Kui Zhu",

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language = "English",

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AU - Xu, Wenjiao

AU - Fang, Yuwen

AU - Hu, Qiao

AU - Zhu, Kui

PY - 2021/11

Y1 - 2021/11

N2 - Probiotics have been associated with clinical infections, toxicity, and antimicrobial resistance transfer, raising public concerns. Probiotic enterococci are emerging food risks as opportunistic pathogens, yet little attention has been paid to them. Herein, we collected 88 enterococcal isolates from probiotic products used for humans, companion animals, livestock, and aquaculture. Results showed that all 88 probiotic enterococcal isolates harbored diverse virulence genes, multiple antimicrobial resistance genes, and mobile genetic elements. Notably, 77 isolates were highly resistant to gentamicin. Representative enterococcal isolates exerted toxic activities in both in vitro and in vivo models. Collectively, our findings suggest that probiotic enterococci may be harmful to hosts and pose a potential threat to public health.

AB - Probiotics have been associated with clinical infections, toxicity, and antimicrobial resistance transfer, raising public concerns. Probiotic enterococci are emerging food risks as opportunistic pathogens, yet little attention has been paid to them. Herein, we collected 88 enterococcal isolates from probiotic products used for humans, companion animals, livestock, and aquaculture. Results showed that all 88 probiotic enterococcal isolates harbored diverse virulence genes, multiple antimicrobial resistance genes, and mobile genetic elements. Notably, 77 isolates were highly resistant to gentamicin. Representative enterococcal isolates exerted toxic activities in both in vitro and in vivo models. Collectively, our findings suggest that probiotic enterococci may be harmful to hosts and pose a potential threat to public health.

KW - Antimicrobial resistance

KW - Enterococci

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KW - Toxicity

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Emerging Risks in Food: Probiotic Enterococci Pose a Threat to Public Health through the Food Chain

Abstract

Funding

Research Keywords

Publisher's Copyright Statement

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