title: Screening of actinomycetes from earthworm castings for their antimicrobial activity and industrial enzymes.
abstract: Actinomycetes from earthworm castings were isolated and screened for their antimicrobial activity and industrial enzymes. A total of 48 isolates were obtained from 12 samples of earthworm castings. Highest numbers of isolates were recovered from forest site (58.33 %) as compared to grassland (25%) and agricultural land (16.66%). The growth patterns, mycelial coloration of abundance actinomycetes were documented. The dominant genera Identified by cultural, morphological and physiological characteristics were Streptomyces (60.41%) followed by Streptosporangium (10.41%),Saccharopolyspora (6.25%) and Nocardia (6.25%). Besides these, other genera like Micromonospora, Actinomadura, Microbispora, Planobispora and Nocardiopsis were also recovered but in low frequency. Among the 48 isolates, 52.08% were found active against one or more test organisms. Out of 25 active isolates 16% showed activity against bacterial, human fungal as well as phytopathogens. Among 48 isolates 38, 32, 21, 20, 16 and 14 produced enzyme amylase, caseinase, cellulase, gelatinase, xylanase and lipase respectively while 10 isolates produced all the enzymes. More interestingly 2, 3, and 1 isolates produced amylase, xylanase and lipase at 45°C respectively. In the view of its antimicrobial activity as well as enzyme production capability the genus Streptomyces was dominant. The isolate EWC 7(2) was most promising on the basis of its interesting antimicrobial activity and was identified as Streptomyces rochei. The results of these findings have increased the scope of finding industrially important actinomycetes from earthworm castings and these organisms could be promising sources for industrially important molecules or enzymes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Sardar Bhagwan Singh Post Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences and Research , Balawala, Dehradun, Uttarakhand , India, 248161.
authors.forename: Vijay
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Alpana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bharti
authors.forename: Yogesh Kumar
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Negi
authors.forename: Omprakash
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gusain
authors.forename: Piyush
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pandey
authors.forename: Gajraj Singh
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Bisht
keywords: Antimicrobial activity; actinomycetes; earthworm castings; enzymes
references.citation: Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek. 1957;23(1):15-22
references.pmid: 13425509
references.citation: Curr Microbiol. 2008 Nov;57(5):503-7
references.pmid: 18810533
references.citation: J Nat Prod. 1997 Jan;60(1):52-60
references.pmid: 9014353
references.citation: Trends Biotechnol. 1995 Mar;13(3):115-21
references.pmid: 7766218
references.citation: Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2008 Sep;80(4):685-95
references.pmid: 18679673
references.citation: J Antibiot (Tokyo). 2009 Oct;62(10):593-5
references.pmid: 19662084
references.citation: Braz J Microbiol. 2008 Oct;39(4):701-7
references.pmid: 24031293
references.citation: Science. 1992 Aug 21;257(5073):1064-73
references.pmid: 1509257
references.citation: Adv Appl Microbiol. 1977;21:53-88
references.pmid: 66858
references.citation: J Antibiot (Tokyo). 2009 Oct;62(10):587-91
references.pmid: 19680282
references.citation: J Microbiol. 2007 Dec;45(6):499-504
references.pmid: 18176531
references.citation: Appl Environ Microbiol. 1995 Aug;61(8):3119-28
references.pmid: 7487043
references.citation: J Environ Biol. 2007 Jan;28(1):87-97
references.pmid: 17717992
references.citation: J Microbiol. 2006 Aug;44(4):432-8
references.pmid: 16953179