~ 672 ~
Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies 2017; 5(2): 672-676
E-ISSN: 2320-7078
P-ISSN: 2349-6800
JEZS 2017; 5(2): 672-676
© 2017 JEZS
Received: 27-01-2017
Accepted: 28-02-2017
M Badar
Department of Environmental
Management, National College of
Business Administration and
Economics, Lahore, Pakistan
Irshad Khokhar
Department of Environmental
Management, National College of
Business Administration and
Economics, Lahore, Pakistan
Fatima Batool
National Centre of Excellence in
Molecular Biology, University of
the Punjab. Lahore, Pakistan
Rehan Iqbal
Departement of Physics,
University of Engineering and
Technology, Lahore, Pakistan
Yasir Ch
Department of Environmental
Management, National College of
Business Administration and
Economics, Lahore, Pakistan
Correspondence
M Badar
Department of Environmental
Management, National College of
Business Administration and
Economics, Lahore, Pakistan
Effect of boiling on removing of shiga toxins from
drinking water samples
M Badar, Irshad Khokhar, Fatima Batool, Rehan Iqbal and Yasir Ch
Abstract
Shiga toxin producing E. coli has been considered an emerging food borne pathogen that causes
haemorrhagic colitis, abdominal pain, and occasional fevers; along with haemolytic uremic syndrome
that develops in 5-8% of cases. The main natural reservoir of shiga toxins is ruminants such as cattle and;
however, faecal contamination during manual milking, along with poor hygiene practices during cheese
preparation, allows for the presence of toxins in raw milk. These conversational water treatment methods
of drinking water are needed to modifications for disinfection of microbes and removing their toxins
from drinking water sources with very low cost, this is the main objective of this present study.
ELISA method is used for detection of toxin level in drinking water which is reliable, microbial
contamination is confirmed by media cultural growth. Ferrous salt is used as coagulant before boiling
that makes it effective treatment.
After treatment of conventional method of pasteurization with addition of ferrous salt, results revealed
that 99% toxin of shiga removed with achievement of maximum success. The high values shown of
toxins in canal water sample as 23.5mg/l and very low value seen in ground water samples as 0.7 mg/l.
Proper pasteurization of contaminated water with coagulant agent gives the reduced value of toxins and
contamination which is highly best for safe water drinking.
Keywords: Toxins, boiling water, microcystins, coagulation
1. Introduction
The environmental pollution is a common problem in developing countries, these developing
countries ensure their pollution share in environment due to their increasing rate of
industrialization and discharge the uncontrolled of waste into the environment. According to a
survey directed by the United Nations (2006), 62% of Pakistan’s urban living people and 84%
of Pakistan’s rural residents does not properly treat their drinking water, as a results it was
recorded that more than 100 million of diarrhoea cases registered in the hospitals of Pakistan.
These figures further lead to about 40% expiries in this country as an outcome of contaminated
drinking of water. Shiga toxin is the prototype of family and it is a group related to exotoxins
with specific structure and functions. In 1897, the Japanese microbiologist Professor Kiyochi
Shiga characterized the bacteriological source of infections as being produced by S. dysenterie
[1, 2]
.
It was identified a group of E. coli that are able to kill Vero cells in culture by secreting a
factor into the tissue culture medium. These bacteria were named Vero toxin creating E. coli
represented as (VTEC). By the early 1980s, Alison O’Brien and her research group
discovered, E. coli formed a toxin very similar like Shiga toxin, therefore, named of this
microorganism is Shiga toxin making E. coli (STEC). Later, it became clear; VTEC and STEC
are two names describing the same organisms and toxins. Shiga toxin 1represened as (Stx1)
formed by E. coli is nearly same as the Shiga toxin prototype, but they only differ by a one
amino acid in a catalytic. STEC produces both Stx1 and Stx2 variants. Stx2-producing STEC
have been linked epidemiologically to more severe disease in infected humans and
neurological symptoms due to strains producing of Stx1
[3]
.
Shiga toxin family members consist of a single enzymatically active A-subunit (molecular
mass of 32 kDa) and five identical B-subunits (pentamer with each B fragment weighing at 7.7
kDa) allowing the toxin to bind to the target cell surface receptors
[4]
. Toxin-induced lipid
partition drives nano compartmentalization at the cytoplasmic level to induce the recruitment
of an intracellular sorting machinery and toxin translocation
[5]
.
Many other farm animals such as sheep, goats, pigs, and turkeys can also shed STEC in their
faces. The most common route of transmission to humans is via ingestion of contaminated