Isolation and characterization of biosurfactant-producing microbes isolated from the gastrointestinal system of broiler birds fed a commercial diet

Antimicrobial drug resistance (AMR) from improper use of antibiotics in various livestock products is a growing hazard for humans worldwide, with current death rate in excess of 700,000 per annum linked to the problem. Microorganisms are a rich source of structurally distinct bioactive compounds designed to protect the microbes and can offset AMR challenge. A study was conducted at Chinhoyi University of Technology to isolate, identify and characterize biosurfactant secreting microbes from broiler bird's gastrointestinal tract. Analysis of variance was performed in Genstat software. 16S rRNA technique was used to identify the DNA of isolates, annotated by similarity using BLASTn analysis against the NCBI nucleotide database. Phylogenetic analysis was performed on the BLASTn outcome to have an appreciation of the evolutionary genetic relationships. Small intestine-derived samples had a wider hemolytic activity of 5.6 mm, with a 39% emulsification index. At 98.29% sequence similarity, the bacterium producing biosurfactants was identified as an Escherichia coli strain similar to the 7.1994/NIST 0056 strain. The biosurfactant substance is a derivative of decane with beta lactams, tetracyclines and sulfa drugs properties which were responsible for the observed antibacterial activity. We recommend endogenous biosurfactant production optimization experiments and in-vivo trials to evaluate the potential impacts of a biosurfactant based feed additive in broilers.