The diversity of some of the culturable microorganisms associated with marine flora and fauna collected off Vizhinjam and Mulloor coast of South India was evaluated and their bioactive production potential determined. From a total of 24 bacteria, 4 actinomycetes and 8 fungi isolated from diverse marine sources, five bacterial species-BLM3, BSP2, BCS1, BCS4 and BMA6 showed inhibitory activity against at least one of the tested pathogens viz., Klebsiella pneumonia KU1, Pseudomonas aeruginosa VL3, Salmonella enterica typhimurium MTCC 98, Escherichia coli MTCC 40, Micrococcus luteus MTCC 105, Staphylococcus simulans MTCC 3610, Proteus vulgaris MTCC 426, Vibrio fluvialis, Vibrio sp. P3a and Vibrio sp. P3b. The isolated actinomycetes and fungi did not produce significant inhibition zones against the tested pathogens; however, the macroalgal isolated actinomycetes strain AMA1 produced reddish pigment in Starch Casein medium which remained stable till the stationary phase of growth. The marine sediment isolate BCS4, identified as Bacillus sp. showed wide spectrum of activity against the tested Gram positive bacteria, S. simulans MTCC 3610 and Gram negative bacteria, Proteus vulgaris with zone of inhibitions of 25 and 11 mm respectively. Better extraction of the bioactive compound was obtained with ethyl acetate when compared with methanol, benzene and hexane and TLC analysis revealed the presence of an active compound. The 16SrRNA sequencing confirmed the potent strain belong to Bacillus sp. and hence designated Bacillus sp. BCS4.
Keywords: Bacillus sp. BCS4; Bioactivity; Marine microbes; Microbial diversity.