Abstract:
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 chal
lenge. 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 5.6mm, 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 respon
sible for the observed antibacterial activity. We recommend endogenous biosurfactant pro
duction optimization experiments and in-vivo trials to evaluate the potential impacts of a
biosurfactant based feed additive in broilers
