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Bioprospecting of Extremophilic Microorganisms to Address Environmental Pollution
Published on: December 30, 2021
Anti-infective Potential of Hot-spring Bacteria
Pallavi Pednekar1, Roopesh Jain, Girish Mahajan
1Department of Biotechnology, The KET's V.G.Vaze College, Mumbai University, India.
Journal of Global Infectious Diseases
|September 3, 2011
Summary
Hot-springs harbor diverse bacteria with significant antimicrobial potential. These microbes, particularly eubacteria, show broad-spectrum activity against resistant bacteria like MRSA and VREs, offering novel solutions to antibiotic resistance.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Drug Discovery
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Antibiotic resistance necessitates the discovery of novel antibiotic classes.
- Microbial natural products are a vital source for new drug development.
- Exploring underexploited environments like hot springs can yield novel bioactive compounds.
Purpose of the Study:
- To isolate and screen bacteria from hot springs for antimicrobial properties.
- To identify novel antibiotic-producing microorganisms to combat antibiotic resistance.
Main Methods:
- Soil samples were collected from hot springs in Maharashtra.
- Actinomycetes and eubacteria were isolated, purified, and classified.
- Antimicrobial activity was assessed using the agar well diffusion method against various bacterial strains.
Main Results:
- Seventy-three bacterial strains were isolated, including eight actinomycetes and 65 eubacteria.
- One eubacterial strain, PPVWK106001, exhibited broad-spectrum activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.
- The isolate demonstrated efficacy against antibiotic-resistant strains, including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VREs).
Conclusions:
- Hot springs are rich reservoirs of diverse bacteria with significant antimicrobial potential.
- The identified hot spring microbes can contribute to addressing the challenge of resistant bacterial infections.
- Further investigation into these bacteria may lead to the development of new antimicrobial agents.
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