Abstract

ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF HALOPHILIC FUNGI ISOLATED FROM SOLAR SALTERN AT TUTICORIN

M. Helan Soundra Rani*, M. Kalaiselvam

CAS in Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences, Annamalai University, Parangipettai- 608502, Tamilnadu, India.

ABSTRACT

To access the in vitro antibacterial activity of halophilic fungi extracts against human pathogens. All the extracts exhibited antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) between 25mm-9mm. EtOAc extracts of fungi Alternaria alternata, Cladosporium sp and Hortaea werneckii were investigated for their activity by using disc diffusion method. Extracts of Alternaria alternata were highly active towards the pathogens Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Klebsiella oxytoca. Crude extracts from Cladosporium sp showed activity against Salmonella typhi, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Hortaea werneckii fungus also showed inhibition against two pathogens Escherichia coli and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. It was concluded that halophilic fungi from solar saltern are diverse, many produce compounds with antimicrobial activity and could be suitable sources of new antimicrobial natural products.

Keywords: Antimicrobial agents, Halophilic fungi, Alternaria alternata.