Environmental Yeast Abundance and Diversity Assessment in Recreation Areas of Bangkok, Thailand

Abstract

The diversity of environmental yeast communities is underestimated in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Numerous studies demonstrated that human activity can alter the yeast diversity and increase pathogenic yeast proportions, indicating that people who frequently visit those areas are at risk of being infected. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the abundance and diversity of yeasts obtained from recreation areas in Bangkok. In this study, 158 soil and water samples were collected from 12 public parks. The analysis of the yeast communities revealed different patterns among recreation areas. Moreover, we aimed to identify yeasts using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. Yeast isolates were identified into 22 genera, with Candida being the most common. Although the ITS region may be used to distinguish yeasts at the genus level, some isolates remain unidentified. Thus, our findings are the first report highlighting the diversity of yeast from recreation areas in Bangkok. Our study also provides information on the ITS region for environmental yeast identification, suggesting that this region might be appropriate for some yeast taxa. In conclusion, this study proposes that the abundance and diversity of yeast may differ due to several factors, such as the surrounding environment, park landscapes, and water supplies for park maintenance.