Abstract
In the present investigation an attempt was made to screen actinomycetes for the therapeutic lead. Marine soil samples were collected from Chennai region, Tamil Nadu, India for the isolation of actinomycetes, about 6 actinobacterial colonies were isolated and screened for its bioactive potential by cross streak method. Among the six isolates screened, one isolate named VITSD1showed potent bioactivity. The molecular analysis of the isolate based on 16S r-DNA gene sequence was validated by existing taxonomic reports. The strain VITSD1 was found 100 % similar to Streptomyces gancidicus. The VITSD1 crude extract checked for antibiogram at 5mg/mL against clinical pathogens was found to have maximum antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (30±0.92mm), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (28±0.93mm), Salmonella typhi (18±0.98mm) and Staphylococcus aureus (20±1.02mm). The antioxidant potential of the strain showed maximum inhibition at 5.0mg/mL concentration with 65±1.94 %. Hence the present study justifies the overwhelming circumstantial evidence as the most bioactive metabolites are from actinomycetes which are of marine origin.
Keywords: Bioactivity, marine actinomycetes, natural products, secondary metabolites, therapeutics.