BIOPROSPECTING OF SOME ETHNOMEDICINAL PLANTS FOR POTENTIAL ANTIMYCOBACTERIAL BACTERIOCIN LIKE INHIBITORY SUBSTANCES (BLIS)

Microbes produce antimicrobial substances giving itself an advantage to compete for resources over other microbes. In this study, some ethnomedicinal plants were screened for microbes that can produce anti-mycobacterial bacteriocin and have isolated a microbe. The isolated microbe has morphological characteristics of Gram positive and endospore forming rods. The 16S rRNA molecular level sequencing shows a 100% similarity index with Bacillus subtilis of GenBank sequences. The bioactive compound is a peptide like substance exhibiting a clear zone of inhibition with Mycobacterium smegmatis as indicator microbe. Being sensitive to proteases, confirms its proteinaceous nature, shows characteristics of heat stability up to 70°C and extractability with wide range of organic solvents. Having an advantage of being heat stable, tolerant to various organic solvents, and (MIC) minimum inhibitory concentration of 400 µg /ml for an unoptimized bacterial isolate, this compound might have pharmacological significance.