Incidence and characterization of <i>Pseudomonas</i> species isolated from spoilt fresh produce

372-376India is one of the major producers of fruits and vegetables accounting for 10 and 14% of world total production, respectively. However, it loses 4.58-15.88% of its total produce during harvest and post-harvest stage. Pseudomonas spp. plays a major role in this loss. The pectolytic fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. are known to cause post harvest rots of celery, chicory, lettuce, cabbage and potato. On the other hand, emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria due to factors such as the overuse of antibiotics including food industry and an increasingly immuno-compromised population is a matter of concern. In this context,, here, we isolated Pseudomonas spp. from spoilt fresh produce using three selective media viz. King’s Medium B, Crystal Violet Pectate (CVP) Medium and Mac-Conkey Agar. The microscopic, cultural, biochemical characteristics and anti-microbial resistance of the isolates were compared to reference Pseudomonas NCDC 105. The isolated Pseudomonas species were observed to be resistant to antibiotic penicillin and some of the strains were resistant to chloramphenicol, carbenicillin and streptomycin as well. Therefore, it is suggested that caution may be taken while prescribing these antibiotics for food-borne diseases related to Pseudomonads spp