Escherichia coli for Antimicrobial Susceptibility, Biochemical Reaction and Biotyping

What is it about?

Escherichia coli (E. coli) infections are the major health concern, as it causes infections in human mainly in urinary tract, ear, and wound infections. The present study evaluates the impact of biofield energy treatment on E. coli regarding antimicrobial sensitivity assay, biochemical study and biotype number. Four multidrug resistant (MDR) clinical lab isolates (LSs) of E. coli (LS 12, LS 13, LS 42, and LS 51) were taken in two groups i.e. control and treated. After treatment, above mentioned parameter were evaluated on day 10 in control and treated samples using MicroScan Walk-Away® system. The antimicrobial sensitivity assay was reported with 46.67% alteration (14 out of 30 tested antimicrobials) in treated group of MDR E. coli isolates. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) study showed the alteration in MIC values of about 34.37% (11 out of 32) tested antimicrobials, after biofield treatment in clinical isolates of E. coli. Piperacillin/tazobactam was reported with improved sensitivity and four-fold decrease in the MIC value (64 to ≤16 µg/mL) in LS 42, as compared with the control. Amoxicillin/k-clavulanate reported with improved sensitivity pattern from resistance to susceptible, with two-fold decrease in MIC value (>16/8 to ≤8/4 µg/mL) in biofield treated LS 51. Further, biochemical study showed 24.24% alteration (8 out of 33) in tested biochemical reactions after treatment among four isolates of E. coli as compared to the control. A change in biotype number (7774 4272) was reported as compared to the control, (7311 4012), with new organism identified as Klebsiella pneumoniae in biofield treated LS 13 with respect to the control organism, E. coli. Overall, data suggested that Mr. Trivedi’s biofield energy treatment can be applied to alter the antimicrobial sensitivity, biochemical reactions and biotype number of E. coli.

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Why is it important?

Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a Gram-negative, rod shape, and facultative anaerobic pathogen linked with community-associated as well as nosocomial infections. It is commensal in nature, and predominantly found in human colonic flora, which might result in fatal enteric infections [1]. Although, enteric E. coli can be categories based on its virulence nature, such as enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC), enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), enterohemorrageic E. coli (EHEC), verotoxigenic E. coli (VTEC), and enteroadherent aggregative E. coli (EAggEC) [2]. However, most of the strains resides in our large intestine and are not harmful, as they help to breakdown the food and assist in the production of vitamin K, waste processing, and food absorption. But, pathogenic isolates of E. coli are responsible for infections such as diarrhea, urinary tract infections (UTIs), extra intestinal infections, meningitis, and septicemia [3]. Besides intestinal infections, E. coli is one of the major infectious Gram-negative pathogens after group B Streptococcus [4]. The increase emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates of E. coli against broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents [5], are the main cause of failure of drug therapies, which leads to high rate of morbidity and mortality [6]. Due to a continuous increase in drug resistance against antibiotics, the alternative therapeutic regimens are now preferred such as cranberry juice in UTI infections caused by E. coli [7]. Recently, energy healing therapies under the complementary and alternate medicine (CAM) have been reported with several beneficial effects. Biofield energy treatment is one of the approaches used on pathogenic microorganisms and reported to alter the sensitivity pattern of antimicrobials [8]. Alternative medicine remains alternative due to their serious challenges against mainstream biomedical paradigm, as it requires a new framework. Alternative medicines that implicate subtle or very low intensity stimuli/energy are commonly known as energy medicine. Major energy medicines are healer interventions, homeopathy, electromagnetic (EM) therapies, and acupuncture. Energy medicines have been categorized in CAM therapies, by National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) [9]. The lack of acceptance of biofield treatment is not surprising, however, various explanations and proposed mechanisms are offered in term of vital force or life energy. According to the conventional physical theory, consciousness is one of the possible mechanisms, in which healer’s intent to heal and interact with the physical realm of patient [10]. Another theory includes subtle energies (physical resonance), which might exchange or involve between the energy fields of healer and patient [11]. In spite of the knowledge of actual mechanism behind non-invasive energy medicine, peoples are getting continuous benefits in cancer, arthritis, anxiety and many more [12-14]. The energy exists in various forms such as potential, electrical, kinetic, magnetic, and nuclear energy that can be produced from different sources. The subtle energy fields that purportedly surround and penetrate the human body are collectively defined as biofield and the extent of energy associated with biofield is termed as biofield energy. Mr. Mahendra Kumar Trivedi has the unique biofield energy, which has the ability to alter the characteristics of living and non-living things. Mr. Trivedi’s unique biofield treatment is also termed as The Trivedi Effect®, which has been studied in the field of agricultural science research [15], biotechnology [16], and microbiology research [17, 18]. Due to the clinical significance of E. coli, present work was designed to study the impact of biofield energy treatment on MDR isolates of E. coli with respect to its antimicrobials susceptibility, biochemical reactions pattern, and biotype number.

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