Isolation of endo symbiotic microbes from marine halophytes and their bioactive potential against microbial pathogens

Abstract

Mangroves are salt tolerant forest eco-system found mainly in tropical and sub tropical inter tidal regions of the world. They are trees or shrubs that have the common trait of growing in shallow and muddy salt water or brackish waters, especially along quiet shorelines and in estuaries. Till recently, mangrove were the main source of tannin for the leather industry and are still exploited in many areas in India (Bandaranayake, 1998). Mangrove wood has a high caloric value and burns very well. Mangroves have rich high value secondary metabolites viz., soponins, alkaloids (Kanchanapoom et al., 2001) and flavanoids (Xu et al., 2004) which show antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and antiplasmodicidal activity. Plant saponins have been shown to have interesting biological activities such as spermicidal and mollusicidal activity (Molyneux, 1972). The extraction of natural chemical compounds in addition to those already known to the pharmacopoeia of the people; continues to this day and among the latest additions is an array of substances from glues to alkaloids and saponins and many other substances of interest to modern industry and medicine.