Unveiling the culturable Bacillus sp. from honey in Burkina Faso as a potential source for antimicrobial peptides in plant disease control

Background: Bees and honey are garnering attention as potential sources for isolating beneficial microorganisms. However, the diversity of antibacterial peptides from microorganisms in honey produced in Burkina Faso remains poorly documented. This study aims to explore the diversity of genes detected in Bacillus sp. isolated from honey in Burkina Faso. Results: Here 11 honey samples were used as a matrix to isolate Bacillus spp. bacteria. A total of 40 presumptive Bacillus spp. isolates, preliminarily characterized for Gram staining, catalase tests, and survival under thermal stress, were selected. The RT-PCR with universal 16S primers revealed that all 40 isolates belonged to the genus Bacillus and the presence of genes involved in iturine A, flagellin, TasA, surfactin, subtilin, and mersacidin synthesis. Among the isolates, 65% carry the Bacillus cereus gene. The rest consists (about 40%) of beneficial strains possessing at least one out of six genes and five strains exhibited at least three genes simultaneously. Associations of more than three genes have detected in Bacillus sp. strains, however they are almost absent in Bacillus cereus . Conclusion: Honey can be considered a natural source of beneficial bacteria belonging to Bacillus genus with a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activities useful for plant bioprotection applications.