ASSESSMENT AND DETERMINATION OF HALOPHILIC BACTERIAL DIVERSITY AND ANTIMICROBIAL POTENTIAL FROM MANGROVE ECOSYSTEMS OF BORDI REGION, MAHARASHTRA

Abstract

In the tropical and subtropical areas, mangroves are among the most diverse and productive coastal ecosystems. Mangrove forests, which grow at the intersection of terrestrial and marine environments, are home to a wide range of plants, animals, and microbes. The aim of the present study was to explore diversity and distribution of halophilic bacteria and qualitative detection of potential antimicrobial agent from isolate. Hence for study five sampling stations were selected. Rhizospheric sediment of Avicennia marina was collected, enriched. Enriched samples were used for isolation on modified marine agar medium. Morphologically distinct 58 isolates were selected. Out of which 6 isolates were used for determination salt tolerance and pH tolerance and antimicrobial activity. All the six isolates were found to have ability to tolerate on 10%- 20% NaCl and pH 9-12. Isolates were named as BS1, BS2, BS3, BS4, BS5 and BS6. Sea water medium was used for production of antimicrobial agent. Antimicobial agent was partially purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation and solvent extraction. Antimicrobial activity of partially purified compound was tested against four human pathogenic strains of bacteria using agar diffusion method. Most of the active strains showed anti-bacterial activity.