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Pak. J. Bot., 46(3): 983-988, 2014.

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SCREENING OF POTENTIAL BIOTECHNOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS FROM OBLIGATE HALOPHILIC FUNGI, ISOLATED FROM A MAN-MADE SOLAR SALTERN LOCATED IN PHETCHABURI PROVINCE, THAILAND

IMRAN ALI^1,2,4*, NAPA SIWARUNGSON³, HUNSA PUNNAPAYAK^4*, PONGTHARIN LOTRAKUL⁴, SEHANAT PRASONGSUK⁴, WICHANEE BANKEEREE⁴ AND SUDIP K. RAKSHIT¹

Abstract: This is the continuation study of obligate halophilic fungi isolated from a man-made solar saltern located in Phetchaburi province, Thailand. The isolation site was hypersaline extreme habitat. Six halophilic fungi which were screened for applications belonged to 4 species and 5 strains of Aspergillus genus namely A. flavus, A. gracilis, A. penicillioides (2 strains) and A. restrictus. A yeast namely, Sterigmatomyces halophilus was also one of the isolate screened for biotechnological potentials. Antibacterial, antioxidant and enzymatic activity were determined for each of the strains. All of the isolates in this study were found to have at least one of the applications screened. A. flavus, A. gracilis and A. penicillioides (1) were found to have high antibacterial potential. A. flavus and A. penicillioides (2) showed the most antioxidant activity while A. gracilis and A. restrictus were found to be most promising candidates for enzymes (of the five enzymes tested) having activity under saline conditions.

¹Food Engineering and Bioprocess Technology, School of Environment, Resources and Development, Asian Institute of Technology, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand,

²Institute of Biochemistry, University of Balochistan, Quetta, 87300, Pakistan, ³Department of Biochemistry,

Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand, ⁴Plant Biomass Utilization Research Unit, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand

*Corresponding author’s email: imranalisheik@gmail.com; phunsa@chula.ac.th