A study on heavy metal sorption properties of intestinal microbiota in vitro

Abstract

Water and soil pollution by heavy metals has led to their accumulation in the ground and waters, to a sharp decline of ecosystem biopotential, and to foodstuff contamination, resulting in internal pollutions in bodies of humans and animals with food, air, water. In this regard, the purpose of our study was to examine the impact of heavy metals on the growth of representatives of rats’ intestinal microbiota and to estimate sorption characteristics of these microorganisms. The research was conducted in three stages: i) a study of essential and xenobiotic elements’ biotoxicity; ii) their impact on the growth of the microbiota in periodic cultivation; and iii) studying bioaccumulative characteristics. In the research, we discovered that all investigated organisms had pronounced resistance to lead and iron, which was confirmed by the results of the evaluating the impact on the growth and the accumulating characteristics of the studied microorganisms (more than 50%). The strain of E. faecium has the most pronounced sorption characteristics – its level of accumulation amounted for iron –63.3%, lead – 61%, zinc – 38.4%, copper – 11.4%, and cadmium – 33.2%, minimum values were obtained in samples of L. acidophilus, which sorbed these elements in concentrations of 46.2%, 42.3%, 10.3%, 3.8%, and 5.3%, respectively.