Screening and Exploration of Lovastatin Producing Indigenous Fungal Isolates From Forest Soil of Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve

Abstract

Microorganisms have a major impact on the development of medical science since the discovery that they not only cause infections but also produce certain organic compounds that cure infections and help treat a variety of non-infectious diseases. Though, microbes are ubiquitous but their metabolic capabilities are greatly influenced by the habitat they survive with unique conditions of pH, temperature, pressure, oxygen, light, nutrients and salinity, there is high potential for those to produce metabolites and exhibit special biological activities. newlineMicroorganisms are of immense importance to the environment and essential to all life forms, and are a primary source of nutrients and act as a chief recycler in the environment. For the sake of the ever-increasing world, population microbes have been known extensively for their potential in the development of bioprocess technologies for the production of secondary metabolites which are organic compounds that form at the end or near the stationary phase of growth, and are not directly associated with growth, development, and reproduction of microorganisms itself. These products include nutritional supplements such as vitamins and amino acids, organic acids, agriculturally important metabolites, enzymes, flavouring agents, coloringagents, pharmaceutical and healthcare products like antimicrobial agents, antiparasitic agents, antitumor, enzyme inhibitors and immunosuppressive, etc. newlineSoil is the reservoir of the quantity of microorganism s where the microbial load in the soil is dependent upon an intricate network between physical and biological factors Numerous microorganisms (Bacteria/ Fungi/ Actinomycetes) exhibit diversity and survive in soil to produce enthralling and structurally complex bioactive products of pharmaceutical importance. Soil microorganisms have continually been screened to harness their beneficial biological active metabolites. Out of the 23,000 identified secondary metabolites, 42% are produced from Actinomycetes, 42% from fungi (Penicilliumspp), and