By serial dilution of samples on starch casein agar. The screening method consists of primary and secondary testing. The most active isolates were identified based on molecular and cultural methods. 42 out of 66 isolates displayed antimicrobial potential. 63% exhibited antibacterial activity, 16% antifungal activity, and 16% displayed both activities. Identified isolates, Streptomyces scabrisporus, Streptomyces sparsogenes, Streptomyces misakiensis, Streptomyces cirratus, Streptomyces lincolnensis, Streptomyces endophyticus, Streptomyces chartreusis, and Streptomyces alboniger showed a broad spectrum of enzymatic activities. The results indicated that these isolates may serve as antibiotic and enzyme-producing microbes....

Fifty seven soil-borne actinomycete strains were assessed for the antibiotic production. Two of the most active isolates, designed as Streptomyces ST-13 and DK-15 exhibited a broad range of antimicrobial activity and therefore they were selected for HPLC fractionation against the most suppressed bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (ST-13) and Chromobacterium violaceum (DK-15). LC/MS analysis of extracts showed the presence of polyketides factumycin (DK15) and tetrangomycin (ST13). The taxonomic position of the antibiotic-producing actinomycetes was determined using a polyphasic approach. Phenotypic characterization and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis of the isolates matched those described for members of the genus Streptomyces. DK-15 strain exhibited the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Streptomyces globosus DSM-40815 (T) and Streptomyces toxytricini DSM-40178 (T) and ST-13 strain to Streptomyces ederensis DSM-40741 (T) and Streptomyces phaeochromogenes DSM-40073 (T). For the proper identification, MALDI-TOF/MS profile of whole-cell proteins led to the identification of S. globosus DK-15 (accession number: KX527570) and S. ederensis ST13 (accession number: KX527568). To our knowledge, there is no report about the production of these antibiotics by S.globosus and S. ederensis, thus isolates DK15 and ST13 identified as S. globosus DK-15 and S.ederensis ST-13 can be considered as new sources of these unique antibacterial metabolites.

The study aimed to assess the antifungal activity of twenty–five essential oils (EOs) and the potential synergistic activity of the most effective EOs against significant indoor fungi of the genus Aspergillus [A. fumigatus (KBio–122), A. flavus (KBio–134), A. terreus (KBio–145) and A. niger (KBio–202)]. The chemical composition of all EOs was evaluated by the gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (GC–FID) analysis. The antifungal susceptibility of EOs was evaluated by using the broth microdilution method. The most effective EOs were selected to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum fungicidal concentrations (MFCs) at a concentration range from 256 to 0.125 μg/mL. For the synergistic activities, the most effective EOs were tested using the chessboard pattern. The most sensitive strain to treatments with essential oils alone and in the combination of EOs was A. flavus (KBio–134). The chessboard assay showed that combinations of lemongrass and thyme EOs proved the most potent synergistic antifungal activity (FICI = 0.1875) against A. fumigatus (KBio–122). The synergy displayed by a combination of some EOs may be used to control fungal growth or increasing resistance to available synthetic antifungals, consequently permitting the reduction of their most active doses.

In the present study we reported the antimicrobial activity of actinomycetes isolated from aridic soil sample collected in Karoo, South Africa. Eighty-six actinomycete strains were isolated and purified, out of them thirty-four morphologically different strains were tested for antimicrobial activity. Among 35 isolates, 10 (28.57%) showed both antibacterial and antifungal activity. The ethyl acetate extract of strain KRG-1 showed the strongest antimicrobial activity and therefore was selected for further investigation. The almost complete nucleotide sequence of the 16S rRNA gene as well as distinctive matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight/mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/MS) profile of whole-cell proteins acquired for strain KRG-1 led to the identification of Streptomyces antibioticus KRG-1 (GenBank accession number: KX827270). The ethyl acetate extract of KRG-1 was fractionated by HPLC method against the most suppressed bacterium Staphylococcus aureus (Newman). LC//MS analysis led to the identification of the active peak that exhibited UV-VIS maxima at 442 nm and the ESI-HRMS spectrum showing the prominent ion clusters for [M-H2O+H]+ at m/z 635.3109 and for [M+Na]+ at m/z 1269.6148. This information could be assigned to chromopeptide lactone antibiotic - actinomycin. Our results suggest that unexplored soils could be an interesting source for exploring antibacterial secondary metabolites.

In recent years, a significant number of infections have been attributed to non-albicidal Candida species (NAC), mainly due to the increasing resistance of NAC to antifungal agents. As only a few antifungal agents are available (azoles, echinocandins, polyenes, allylamines and nucleoside analogues), it is very important to look for possible alternatives to inhibit resistant fungi. One possibility could be essential oils (EOs), which have been shown to have significant antifungal and antibacterial activity. Therefore, in this study, the efficacy of 12 EOs and their combinations was evaluated against four yeasts of the genus Candida (C. albicas, C. glabrata, C. tropicalis and C. parapsilosis). GC-MS and GC-MS FID techniques were used for the chemical analysis of all EOs. VITEK-2XL was used to determine the antifungal susceptibility of the tested Candida spp. strains. The agar disc diffusion method was used for primary screening of the efficacy of the tested EOs. The broth dilution method was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the most potent EOs. After MIC cultivation, the minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) was determined on Petri dishes (60 mm). The synergistic effect of combined EOs was evaluated using the checkerboard method and expressed as a fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI). The results showed that ginger > ho-sho > absinth > dill > fennel > star anise > and cardamom were the most effective EOs. For all Candida species tested, the synergy was mainly observed in these combinations: ginger/fennel for C. albicans FICI 0.25 and C. glabrata, C. tropicalis and C. parapsilosis FICI 0.5 and absinth/fennel for C. albicans FICI 0.3125, C. tropicalis FICI 0.3125 and C. parapsilosis FICI 0.375. Our results suggest that the resistance of fungal pathogens to available antifungals could be reduced by combining appropriate EOs.

Actinomycete strain VY31 was isolated from agriculture soil of region Východná, Slovakia. Morphological, physiological and biochemical studies indicated that this isolate belongs to the genus Streptomyces. The 16S rRNA sequence data supported the assignment of the isolate to the genus Streptomyces rishiriensis (sequence similarity 97%). Tested isolate was able to produce melanin dark pigment and exopigments on ISP6, ISP7 and SSM+T cultivating media. The optimal pH range was from 6-8 and optimal temperature at 30 °C. The strain exhibited salt tolerance up to 5 % and utilized the carbon sources such as glucose, arabinose, xylose, inositol, mannose, fructose, rhamnose and rafinose. Using ApiZym® stripes, the highest production of enzymes was determined for phosphatase alkaline, leucinearylamidase, valinearylamidase, phosphatase acid, naphtol-AS-BI-phosphohydrolase, galactosidase and glucosidase (>40 nmol). According to ApiCoryne® results, positive reaction was confirmed in case of esculin, alkaline phosphatase, and this strain was also able to hydrolyze gelatine. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of the purified extract of isolate was evaluated against Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecium, Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and against yeast Candida albicans. On the basis of MIC results, strain VY31 had noticeable antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aures N315 (MRSA) from collection database of University Hospital in Hamburg, Germany. This isolate could be used in the development of new antibiotics for pharmaceutical purposes.