Antibiotic resistance of lactic acid bacteria

About 50 years ago, antibiotics were introduced for the treatment of microbial diseases. Since then, the greatest threat to the use of antimicrobial agents for therapy of bacterial infections has been the development of antimicrobial resistance in pathogenic bacteria. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are a heterogeneous group of bacteria found widely in nature. They colonize the gastrointestinal and urogenital tracts of humans and animals, and are present in foods such as dairy products, fermented meats, fruits and vegetables. Recently many investigators have speculated that commensal bacteria including LAB may act as reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes similar to those found in human pathogens. The aim of this review is to consider the current evidence on antibiotic resistance of lactic acid bacteria.

Keywords:

Lactic acid bacteria , , Antibiotic resistance , Probiotics