Abstract
Author(s): M. Kavya Deepthi1*, M. Solomon Sudhakar1 and M. Nagalakshmi Devamma2
This study was carried out to isolate actinomycetes which have the potential to produce antibiotics as well as enzymes from under-explored mangrove soils. The soil samples were collected from Coringa mangrove forest, Andhra Pradesh and the isolations were carried out using dilution-plate technique. 27 isolates were obtained and were characterized morphologically, biochemically, physiologically. Screening tests were performed to determine enzymatic activity and antimicrobial activity. Results indicated that Streptomyces sp. strain A exhibited amylase (0.59 µmol/ml/min), cellulase (1.388 µmol/ml/min), Lasparaginase (3.67 µol/ml/min), chitinase (1.356 µmol/ml/min) and protease (0.248 µmol/ml/min) activities; specific activities of cellulase, L-asparaginase, chitinase and protease were found to be 10.475 µmol/ml/mg protein, 10.194 µmol/ml/mg protein, 6.027 µmol/ml/mg protein and 0.4332 µmol/ml/mg protein respectively. Strain A exhibited antimicrobial activity against test micro organisms like Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aureginosa, Pseudomonas fluroscence, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Candida albicans, Streptococcus mutans, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus megaterium, Xanthomonas. Maximum activity was exhibited against Xanthomonas where as minimum against Candida albicans. 96 hr incubation resulted in optimum antimicrobial activity