The main objective of this study was to isolate and identify Staphylococcus aureus from retail raw red meat samples and evaluate their enterotoxin gene and antibiotic resistance profiles. A total of 452 retail raw meat samples, including beef (n = 200), sheep (n = 125), and lamb (n = 127) randomly purchased from various supermarkets and butchers in Ankara between July 2019 and November 2020, were tested for the prevalence of S. aureus. The S. aureus strain was identified using morphological and molecular (16S rRNA and nuc gene) methods. Moreover, nine Staphylococcal enterotoxin (SE) genes were screened using polymerase chain reaction. Antibiotic resistance of S. aureus was determined using the phenotypic disc diffusion method. The overall prevalence of S. aureus among screened samples was 21.23%. Additionally, 65.62% of S. aureus strains contained SE gene regions. The predominant SEs in the S. aureus strains were sea (50.79%), followed by sed (25.39%) and seb (23.80%). However, sec, see, seg, seh, sei, and sej genes were never detected. A substantial proportion (40-100%) of the isolates were found resistant to kanamycin, telithromycin, penicillin G, streptomycin, erythromycin, cloxacillin, ampicillin, pristinamycin, nalidixic acid, azithromycin, and ciprofloxacin. Multi-drug resistance (MDR) was observed in 96.87% of the S. aureus strains. These results show a low prevalence of S. aureus in raw red meat samples in Turkey. However, a high rate of SEA raises serious health concerns. Due to the high levels of MDR observed in this study, there is a need to strictly control antibiotic use in animals in Turkey.

The aim of the present study was the determination of the prevalence and antibiotic resistance of L. monocytogenes in ready-to-eat (RTE) foods in Ankara, Turkey. In order to detect and isolate L. monocytogenes from 201 RTE food samples, the EN ISO 11290:1 method was used. All isolates were identified using the polymerase chain reaction. The strains were also confirmed by the detection of the hemolysin gene (hlyA). The overall prevalence of L. monocytogenes was 8.5% among the food samples. Seventeen L. monocytogenes strains were examined by the disk diffusion assay for their resistance to 23 antibiotics. All strains were susceptible to erythromycin, clarithromycin, streptomycin, gentamicin, vancomycin, imipenem, trimethoprim, and chloramphenicol, while all strains were resistant to nalidixic acid, ampicillin, penicillin G, linezolid, and clindamycin. The higher resistance was found against oxacillin (94.1%), kanamycin (76.5%), levofloxacin (70.6%), and teicoplanin (64.7%), followed by amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (53.0%), rifampicin (47.1%), and ciprofloxacin (35.3%). A lower incidence of resistance was observed against tetracycline (5.9%), meropenem (5.9%), and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (17.7%). All isolates were multidrug resistant showing resistance to at least three antibiotic classes. High L. monocytogenes prevalence among analyzed RTE foods represents a high risk for public health. Our findings show a high prevalence of L. monocytogenes in RTE foods in Turkey. More effective control strategies for L. monocytogenes are needed to reduce both prevalence and resistance of L. monocytogenes in Turkish RTE foods.

The aim of the present work is to provide information about Enterococcus strains isolated from traditional Turkish cheese samples in Ankara (Turkey), focusing on their prevalence, phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, and antibiotic resistance. A total of 213 probable enterococcal isolates isolated from 215 samples were identified by phenotypic and genotypic methods. As a result of 16S rDNA sequence analysis, 88 of the 213 enterococci strains were identified as Enterococcus faecium and 125 as Enterococcus faecalis. The E. faecalis strains (58.7%) were identified as the dominant species isolated from cheese samples in Turkey. The 213 Enterococcus strains were tested for susceptibility to 12 different antimicrobial agents. The resistance phenotype were as follow: nalidixic acid (100%), kanamycin (98.6%), rifampicin (78.4%), ampicillin (48.8%), ciprofloxacin (45.5%), erythromycin (18.8%), tetracycline (11.7%), penicillin G (5.6%), chloramphenicol (4.2%), gentamycin (3.8%) and streptomycin (1.4%). None of the strains was resistant to vancomycin. E. faecium strains showed more resistant phenotypes than E. faecalis strains as shown by the antibiotic resistance levels. It was also observed that the resistance of E. faecium and E. faecalis strains against the antibiotics was statistically significant (p ˂ 0.05). In total, 100% of E. faecium and 88.8% of E. faecalis strains were resistant to multiple drugs.

Functional foods containing probiotic bacteria are consumed worldwide. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), probiotics are living microorganisms that contribute to the host’s overall health when provided in adequate amounts. Fermented dairy products, especially yogurt and other dairy-based products, are good substrates for probiotic delivery. However, recently, consumers have begun to seek alternatives due to lactose intolerance and high fat and cholesterol contents. Moreover, the growing vegetarianism has increased the demand for nondairy probiotic foods. Thus worldwide, researchers are studying probiotic bacteria feasibility in nondairy products, including fruits, vegetables, and cereals. This study aims to give an overview of various nondairy based products that contain probiotic bacterial strains available worldwide based on fruits, vegetables, cereals, chocolate-based products, and meat products. Moreover, the latest globally available commercial products are also summarized.

This study aimed to provide information about the characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from traditional Turkish cheese samples in Ankara (Turkey), focusing on their prevalence, phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, and antibiotic resistance. To this end, 387 cheese samples were randomly collected from various local bazaars and supermarkets. A total of 85 S. aureus isolates were identified by morphological, biochemical and molecular methods. In addition, the strains were screened for enterotoxin production. None of the strains was confirmed as being enterotoxigenic. The strains were tested for resistance to 29 different antimicrobial agents using the phenotyping agar diffusion method. The strains showed a high level of resistance (60–84.71%) to penicillin, ampicillin, and oxacillin. Furthermore, resistance to lincomycin, cefoxitin, clindamycin was also observed, although at slightly lower levels (50.59–57.65%). Additionally, low-level resistance (1.4–48.8%) was observed against gentamicin, methicillin, kanamycin, streptomycin, cefepime, erythromycin, teicoplanin, rifampicin, vancomycin, cefazolin, netilmicin, sulfadimethoxazole, ofloxacin, enrofloxacin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, azithromycin, trimethoprim, and norfloxacin. None of the strains was resistant to doxycycline, linezolid, furazolidone, and chloramphenicol. About 72.94% of S. aureus strains were resistant to multiple drugs. Our results suggest that the presence of a high level of multidrug-resistant S. aureus strains in traditional Turkish cheese is not safe for human consumption. Therefore, uncontrolled use of antibiotics should be prevented in veterinary medicine.