Preliminary Antibacterial Activity of Crude Extracts of Endophytic Fungi from a Medicinal Plant against Four Multidrug-Resistant Bacterial Strains
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69855/science.v3i4.893Keywords:
Endophytic Fungi, Zingiber zerumbet, Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria, Antibacterial ActivityAbstract
Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria pose significant challenges to infection treatment, highlighting the need for new antibacterial agents. This study isolated endophytic fungi from the leaves, stems, and roots of Zingiber zerumbet collected in North Sumatra, Indonesia, and evaluated their antibacterial activity against four MDR bacterial strains: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), ESBL-producing Escherichia coli, MDR Klebsiella pneumoniae, and MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Eight fungal isolates (EF1–EF8) were obtained and tentatively identified through morphological and microscopic characteristics. Ethyl acetate extracts were screened using agar well diffusion, while minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) were determined by broth microdilution. Isolate identity significantly influenced inhibition zones against all tested bacteria (p < .001). EF1, tentatively identified as Aspergillus sp., demonstrated the strongest activity, followed by EF7 (Nigrospora sp.). EF1 exhibited MIC values of 12.5–50 µg/mL and MBC values of 25–100 µg/mL, with the strongest activity against MRSA. Phytochemical screening indicated the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, saponins, and steroids. These findings suggest that endophytic fungi associated with Z. zerumbet represent potential sources of antibacterial metabolites. However, molecular identification, compound characterization, cytotoxicity assessment, and additional experimental controls are required to confirm their antibacterial potential.
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