Physiological and Molecular-genetic Characteristic of Bacteria Strains, Isolated from Mountain Spring and Mineral Waters in Plovdiv Region, Bulgaria

The present study aims to investigate the microbiological research of mineral and spring mountain waters in the region of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. In Bulgaria, there are mineral and mountain spring waters, which are not subjected to physicochemical and microbiological control by the Regional Health Inspectorate, yet they are the most widely used springs by the population as sources of drinking water. The methodology is including the determination of total number of mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria. The results showed 11 rod shaped, Gram–positive and spore forming bacteria and 2 rod shaped, Gram–negative non-spore forming bacteria are isolated from spring and healing waters. The colonial and physiological characteristics of the isolated strains are defined. The biochemical profiles of the selected bacteria are determined with the system for rapid identification API 50 CH. The strains are identified by software processing of the obtained biochemical profiles with apiweb®. Furthermore, the tested strains are genetically identified by molecular-genetic methods – ARDRA analysis and sequencing of the gene for the 16S rRNA. The results obtained from the biochemical and molecular-genetic studies indicate that the selected strains belong to different species of genus Bacillus, Aeromonas, Klebsiella.

The identification strains support for registration of water sources in Plovdiv region, Bulgaria according Decree No. 9.