Antibacterial activity of chitosan against Burkholderia pseudomallei

The ability of Burkholderia pseudomallei to persist and survive in the environment is a health problem worldwide. Therefore, the antibacterial activities of chitosan against four environmental isolates of B. pseudomallei from soil in Khon Kaen, Thailand, were investigated. Antibacterial activities were assessed by a plate count technique after treatment with 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2 or 5mgml(-1) chitosan for 0, 24 and 48 hr. Chitosan at 5 mg ml(-1) completely killed all four B. pseudomallei isolates within 24 hr, whilst 2 mg ml(-1) chitosan lowered the viability of B. pseudomallei by 20% within the same time span. Chitosan may act by disruption of the cell membrane, releasing intracellular components that can be detected spectrophotometrically at 260 and 280 nm. Transmission electron microscopy inspection of chitosan-treated B. pseudomallei revealed damage to the bacterial membranes. This study demonstrated the effective antibacterial activity by chitosan against B. pseudomallei. Chitosan causes disruption of the bacterial cell membrane, release of intracellular constituents and cell death. This study revealed the inhibitory potential of chitosan for mitigating B. pseudomallei occurrences.