Endophytic Actinomycetes of Some Medicinal Plants in Saint Katherine Area, Egypt

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, 41522 Ismailia, Egypt

Abstract

A number of 41 morphologically different endophytic actinomycete isolates were recovered from
surface-sterilized medicinal plants; Artemisia herba-alba, Echinops spinosus, Mentha longifolia and
Ballota undulate. A simplified method for selective recovery of actinomycetes from internal plant tissues
is described. Successful recovery was achieved on the media: starch-casein agar, 1/10 diluted starch
casein agar, tap water-yeast extract agar and MG-plant extract agar. Preliminary description of the
isolates, according to microscopic examination and amino acid composition of the cell wall
hydrolystates, indicated prevalence of genus Streptomyces. The highest number of endophytic
actinomycetes was recovered from Mentha longifolia and represented 34% of the isolates. Organic
extracts of the growth metabolites from the cultures were tested for cytotoxicity against Artemia salina as
well as for antimicrobial activities against 4 reference bacterial strains, 6 clinical bacterial cultures and
two clinical fungal cultures. Variable activities were obtained with different actinomycete isolates; the
highest activity could be detected against Gardnerella vaginitis and Shigella boydii strain ATCC 9207;
being represented in 29% of the isolates in both cases. For the first time, the isolation of endophytic
actinomycetes from Saint Katherine wild plants is reported and their potential use as novel source of
bioactive compounds is discussed.

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