Diversity of <i style="">Bacillus</i> and <i style="">Actinomycetes</i> in the water and sediment samples from Kumarakom region of Vembanadu lake

Abstract

Diversity of different groups of <i style="">Bacillus</i> and <i style="">Actinomycetes </i>in the water and sediment samples from Kumarakom estuary was analyzed to find out potential strains for further application. <i style="">Bacillus</i> genera were identified and grouped into five phenogroups such as <i style="">Bacillus polymyxa,</i> <i style="">Bacillus subtilis</i>, <i style="">Bacillus sphaericus, Thermophiles</i> and <i>Alicyclobacillus</i>. Phenogroups show differences in the shape of the spore (oval or spherical), position of the spore (central or terminal) and swelling of the sporangium. Ability of the isolates to elaborate various hydrolytic enzymes and their ability to reduce nitrate and ferment various carbohydrate sources were also studied. Different plating media such as glycerol arginine agar, starch-casein agar and soil extract agar were used to isolate the <i style="">Actinomycetes</i>. Glycerol arginine agar found to be superior to the other two plating media. Diversity of <i style="">Actinomycetes </i>was less when compared to that of <i style="">Bacillus</i> genera. Potential of the <i style="">Actinomycetes</i> to produce antibiotics were evaluated by well diffusion method against 6 serotypes of <i style="">Salmonella</i>, <i style="">Vibrio</i> <i style="">parahaemolyticus</i> and <i style="">Escherichia coli.</i>