Abstract

BIOPROSPECTING OF HALOPHILIC ACTINOMYCETES ISOLATED FROM MARINE SEDIMENTS IN CHENNAI SHORES

Iswarya B., Poongavanam M. and Vijaya Ramesh K.*

Abstract

The aim of study was to isolate actinomycetes from marine sediments and to screen their bioactivity, to analyze the qualitative enzyme production, growth in different media and to extract the bioactive metabolites. The sediments collected from various places of Bay of Bengal coast was subjected to Actinomycete isolation. The antibacterial susceptibility of the extracellular extracts of all isolates was tested against antibiotic resistant bacterial strains. The isolates were screened for qualitative enzyme production and their growth, pigmentation was observed in different ISP media. The chosen actinomycete isolate ACT 1 was identified by biochemical characterization and spore morphology. The actinomycete isolates ACT 1 and ACT 8 showed higher inhibition about against tested strains. The isolates grown in Starch Casein medium and ISP 5 medium produced pigmented growth. The ACT 1 isolate posses cellulolytic, amylolytic and proteolytic properties. ACT 8 posses pectinolytic, cellulolytic and proteolytic properties. Through spore morphology and biochemical characterization revealed that the ACT 1 isolate as Streptomyces sp. This investigation suggests the extracellular extracts of Streptomyces sp. ACT1to be a potential broad spectrum antimicrobial compound.

Keywords: Bio prospecting, Marine Actinomycetes, Qualitative enzyme assay, Biochemical characterization.