Antimicrobial Activity of Indigenous Strains of Aureobasidium Isolated From Santalum Album Leaves

Although more than 3000 antibiotics have been reported from Actinomycetes/ higher fungi; biotechnological potential of yeasts and yeast-like fungi with respect to production of antimicrobial compounds has not been sufficiently investigated. We examined the antimicrobial activity of 11 strains of Aureobasidium pullulans (two new isolates and nine standard strains). All the strains of Aureobasidium pullulans inhibited Ps. fluorescen s, but none of these strains could inhibit Candida albicans and S. cerevisiae. Interestingly, the yeast Pichia angusta was inhibited by six of the A. pullulans strains used in the present investigation. Two indigenous isolates of Aureobasidium Natural Isolate 1 (NI. 1) and Natural Isolate 2 (NI. 2) showed antibacterial activity against the Gram-negative cultures; most of which were resistant to Gentamicin. This study provides evidence that A. pullulans is a promising producer of antimicrobial agents for better chemotherapeutic agents, possibly against Pseudomonals infections.