Biomedical Letters

Bacillus Species Found Antagonistic against Bacteria Isolated from Currency Notes in Local Circulation

Musarrat Sharif*, Maham Yazdani, Zonash Almas, Wasif Ghias, Rabia Qureshi, Shahbaz Zakki, Farheen Ansari, Mahmood Hussain Qazi

Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Lahore, Defense Road, Lahore, Pakistan.

Abstract

Bacterial species from currency notes and coins obtained from people belonging to different professions of Lahore, Pakistan were evaluated for their antagonistic activity against bacillus species isolated from the same source. A total of twenty nine isolates were identified based on morphology, growth on selective and differential media and biochemical tests. Spot-on-the-lawn deferred antagonism method was used to observe the antagonistic activity of the bacillus sp. isolates. It was found that six Bacillus sp. isolates [Bacillus cereus (B.c), Bacillus subtilis (B.s), Bacillus mycoides (B.m), Bacillus licheniformis (B.l), Bacillus vallismortis (B.v) and Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t)] showed antagonism against the other bacterial isolates. Three isolates viz., B.c, B.s and B.l showed broad spectrum of antagonistic activity (+++), B.s, B.l, B.m and B.t showed antagonistic activity (+) while B.s, B.c, B.m, B.v, B.l and B.t showed antagonistic activity. This study concluded that the Bacillus species have the ability to produce antimicrobial compounds which may be used to control microbial infections.

Keywords: Bacillus, antibiotic, antagonistic activity, deferred antagonism, zones of inhibition, money.

Received September 02, 2016 Revised October 19, 2016 Accepted October 30, 2016

*Correspondence: Musarrat Sharif Email musarratsharif388@gmail.com Contact: +92-3104008714