English
Screening of Antibacterial Activity of Fungi from Freshwater Environment Against Five Human Pathogens
Sanghee Lee1, Yunjeong Heo1, Jeong Tae Kim1, Gil Han1, Yeo Wool Seok1, Chang Soo Lee1,
Hye Jin Hwang1, Sangkyu Park1, Wonsu Cheon1, Yoosun Oh1 and Hye Yeon Mun1*
1Biological Resources Research Department, Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources
*Email : outcastm@nnibr.re.kr
Freshwater fungi represent a relatively unexplored source of bioactive secondary metabolites with potential antimicrobial properties. In this study, we evaluated the antibacterial activity of 150 fungal strains isolated from freshwater environments against five human pathogens: Candida albicans KCTC7270, Escherichia coli CCARM1G440, Staphylococcus aureus CCARM3095, Bacillus cereus CCARM0120 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA14). These pathogens were selected as representative test organisms due to their clinical relevance and diverse cell wall structures, which enable assessment of antimicrobial spectrum. Fungal strains were cultured in Potato Dextrose Broth (PDB) for 10 days, and the culture filtrates were obtained through 0.45μm syringe filtration. Antibacterial activity of the filtrates was then assessed against each pathogen. A total of 67 species belonging to 59 genera demonstrated antibacterial activity. Specifically, 66 strains were active against C. albicans, 59 against E. coli, 7 against S. aureus, 3 against B. cereus, and 2 against P. aeruginosa. Notably, strains FBCC-F4797 (Cytospora predappioensis) and FBCC-F4838 (Hyaloscypha gryndleru) exhibited broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against all five tested pathogens. Furthermore, strains FBCC-F1888 (Emmia lacerata) and FBCC-F2191 (Westerdykella sp.) demonstrated stronger antibacterial effects than the standard 1000 ppm streptomycin treatment against selected pathogens, including C. albicans, E. coli, and S. aureus. These results highlight the potential of freshwater-derived fungi as a source of novel antimicrobial agents. Further investigation is warranted to isolate and characterize the active compounds from these promising strains.
