Abstract

ISOLATION AND PARTIAL CHARACTERIZATION OF POTENT SPONGE DERIVED ACTINOMYCETES AGAINST MULTIDRUG RESISTANT BACTERIA

Sunanda Kumari Kadiri*, Nagendra Sastry Yarla and Siddaiah Vidavalur

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial activity ofsponge derived actinobacteria against multidrug resistant pathogenicstrains. Forty actinobacterial strains were isolated from five spongesbelonging to the class demospongiae isolated along the Andhra Coast.Potential colonies were purified and stored. Primary screening wasdone using cross-streak method against pathogenic bacteria. Isolateswith antagonistic properties were biochemically characterized andinoculated into production media for secondary metabolite extraction.The antimicrobial activity of crude and solvent extracts was performedusing Kirby-Bauer method. The six actinomycete strains showingmaximum antibacterial activity were isolated further characterizedbased on their colony characteristics and bioichemical analyses. Theethyl acetate extracts showed high inhibition against the two pathogenic bacteria testedmethicillin – Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and vancomycin-resistantEnterococci (VRE). The results of the current investigation show a high diversity ofactinomycetes associated with marine sponges as well as highlight their potential to producenew drugs molecules.

Keywords: Actinomycetes, Marine Sponges, Antibacterial activity, Multidrug resistance.