Exploring Actinobacteria from North-Western Himalayas in Quest of Novel Pharmacophores

Abstract

Actinomycetes are considered as the factories of antibiotics. They are chief soil microbes which also reside in aquatic habitats. They can tolerate high temperature, high salt concentration and high pH value. Most of existing antibiotics have been isolated from genus Streptomyces and Micromonaspora. In this study, 33 actinomycetes isolates were isolated from the soil samples collected from exclusive niches of Jammu region located in North-Western Himalayas for antimicrobial bioassays against human pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC741), Escherichia coli (MTCC 1697), Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC 96) and Salmonella typhimurium (MTCC 98). Isolates SA-92 and SD-9 have shown very good potential as antibiotic producer against most of the test organisms. This study concluded that actinomycetes from exclusive niches can be potential source of antibiotic producer populations of actinomycetes and they can be used for exploring cure of multi-drug-resistant strains causing major mortality since past few years.