Optimization and production of novel antimicrobial agents from sponge associated marine actinomycetes Nocardiopsis dassonvillei MAD08.

The sponge-associated actinomycetes were isolated from the marine sponge Dendrilla nigra, collected from the southwest coast of India. Eleven actinomycetes were isolated depending upon the heterogeneity and stability in subculturing. Among these, Nocardiopsis dassonvillei MAD08 showed 100% activity against the multidrug resistant pathogens tested. The culture conditions of N. dassonvillei MAD08 was optimized under submerged fermentation conditions for enhanced antimicrobial production. The unique feature of MAD08 includes extracellular amylase, cellulase, lipase, and protease production. These enzymes ultimately increase the scope of optimization using broad range of raw materials which might be efficiently utilized. The extraction of the cell free supernatant with ethyl acetate yielded bioactive crude extract that displayed activity against a panel of pathogens tested. Analysis of the active thin layer chromatography fraction by Fourier transform infrared and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry evidenced 11 compounds with antimicrobial activity. The ammonium sulfate precipitation of the culture supernatant at 80% saturation yielded an anticandidal protein of molecular weight 87.12 kDa. This is the first strain that produces both organic solvent and water soluble antimicrobial compounds. The active extract was non-hemolytic and showed surface active property envisaging its probable role in inhibiting the attachment of pathogens to host tissues, thus, blocking host-pathogen interaction at an earlier stage of pathogenesis.