Abstract

A total of 55 actinomycetes isolates from soil sample of Karanjal region in Sundarbans were characterized for morphological identification and antimicrobial activity. Four general such as Actinomyces, Nocardia, Streptomyces andMicromonospora with total numbers of isolates were 27, 14, 11 and 3, respectively, were identified from the sample. Twenty actinomycetes isolates produced antibiotic against one or more gram-negative pathogenic bacteria such as Shigella boydii,Shigella flexneri-AN-31153, Shigella sonnei, Pseudomonas, Shigella dysenterriaetype-1, Vibrio cholerae-0139, Salmonella typhi-Ao-12014, Plesiomonas, Hafniaspp., Vibrio cholerae-OGET, and Escherichia coli-186LT. The study indicated that Sundarbans’ soil had diverse group of actinomycetes and three of the tested isolates had a broader spectrum antibacterial activity which showed potential as a source of antibiotics for pharmaceutical interest.

Key words: Sundarbans, actinomycetes, isolate, antibacterial activity, identification.