EVALUATION OF ANTIMICROBIAL POTENTIAL OF ASPERGILLUS IBERICUS ISOLATED FROM RHIZOSPHERIC SOIL OF FICUS RELIGIOSA

Author(s): Geetanjali Geetanjali, Pranay Jain* and Ram Kumar Pundir

Abstract: Inappropriate and irrational use of antimicrobial medicines has prompted the resistant microbes to emerge, spread and persist. Antimicrobial resistance may be intrinsic or acquired as it can develop through the spontaneous mutation of existing genes or through the transfer of genes from other resistant species or strains. Therefore, antimicrobial resistance has resulted research and development for the discovery of new antibiotics against pathogens at all times. Natural products with industrial applications can be produced from secondary metabolism of living organisms including plants, animals and microorganisms. The present study highlights the bioactivity of rhizosphere soil fungi Aspergillus ibericus from Ficus religiosa against opportunistic pathogens, through the production of secondary metabolite exhibiting antimicrobial activity. Antimicrobial metabolite obtained from A. ibericus was found to be effective against test microbes gram-positive bacteria, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus pyogenes, gram-negative bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli and yeasts such as Candida albicans and C. tropicalis. The antimicrobial metabolite was thus broad spectrum in nature. The effect of fermentation medium, temperature and pH was also observed on the production of antimicrobial metabolite.

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