Aislamiento y caracterización de bacterias resistentes a altas temperaturas de las aguas termales San Francisco - Guayllabamba ubicadas en el cantón Chambo, provincia de Chimborazo.

Abstract

The microbial diversity of San Francisco – Guayllabamba hot springs is unknown. In fact, information on extremophile studies in Ecuador is limited. However, given the conditions of the site, there is an opportunity for significant biotechnological research on the potential enzymatic synthesis capacity of native microorganisms. Therefore, the objective of this research was to characterize heat-resistant bacteria isolated from San Francisco – Guayllabamba hot springs located in Chambo town. This study was conducted in Chambo town, where a single sample of San Francisco – Guayllabamba hot springs was taken for the bioprospecting of organisms resistant to high temperatures. After analyzing the physicochemical parameters, a series of tenfold dilutions ranging from 10 to 10-4 were prepared, and 0.1 ml of each dilution was inoculated onto Nutrient Agar and Luria Bertani solid media using the surface streaking technique. The most representative colonies were selected based on their macroscopic morphology. In this way, five colonies of thermophilic bacteria with an optimal growth temperature of 41°C were characterized by observing Gram-positive cocci, as well as, short and long Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacilli under microscopy. Gram-positive bacteria were predominant. Additionally, biochemical tests for catalase, oxidase, indole, urea, citrate, and TSI were performed. Finally, the capacity of extracellular enzymes was evaluated, mainly showing the production of cellulases and amylases. Additionally, antibiotic resistance tests were conducted, showing sensitivity to amikacin, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, methicillin, and resistance to oxacillin.