Abstract

Screening of actinomycetes for antifungal metabolites production from kodachadri soils

Author(s): K.S.Shobha, Seema J.Patel

42Actinomycetes isolateswere recovered fromsoils ofKodachadri by soil dilution technique. Cross streak method was followed for primary screening of antifungal activity. Positive isolates subjected to secondary screening from fermentation broth of isolates extracted in butanol solvent. Six isolates characterized as Streptomycetes species showed broad spectrum antifungal activity against C.albicans, C.neoformens, S.cerevisiae, Fusarium and Colletotrichum spp. One isolate showed excellent antifungal activity against all test organisms with maximum zone of inhibition 60mm(C.neoformens) 50mm(C.albicans) and 40mm(Fusarium spp). Partial characterization of antifungalmetabolite by TLC revealed active component as unsaturated fatty acid by a purple spot with an Rf value 0.50. The active metabolite exhibited UV absorption at 218 nm indicating possible chemical nature of the component as polyene group and purity was assessed by analytical HPLC.