Trasmissione dei geni di antibiotico-resistenza durante la produzione di pane a lievitazione naturale

This study reports on data from a research aimed at monitoring the transfer of antibiotic resistance genes along the sourdough bread production chain. Specifically, raw materials such as durum wheat semolina and wheat flour, doughs at the end of fermentation and finished products were analysed. Microbiological analyses were conducted using a polyphasic approach, including culture-dependent and culture-independent analyses. Both methods resulted in the detection of significant levels of lactic acid bacteria in all samples under investigation. The search for genes associated with resistance to the main antibiotics commonly used to treat bacterial infections in farm animals revealed that no transfer of genes associated with penicillins, chloramphenicol and macrolides occurred. However, three semolina samples and only one bread sample demonstrated the presence of tetracycline resistance-related amplicons. This work demonstrated that in traditional bread production, although at low levels, raw materials may be responsible for the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes.