Asian Journal of Medical Sciences 2(4): 195-200, 2010 ISSN: 2040-8773 © Maxwell Scientific Organization, 2010 Submitted Date: July 03, 2010 Accepted Date: August 29, 2010 Published Date: August 30, 2010 Corresponding Author: J. Selvin, Department of Microbiology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli - 620 024, India. Tel: +91-431-2407082; Fax: +91-431-2407084 195 Antagonistic Potentials of Marine Sponge Associated Fungi Aspergillus clavatus MFD15 A. Manilal, B. Sabarathnam, G.S. Kiran, S. Sujith, C. Shakir and J. Selvin Department of Microbiology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli - 620 024, India Abstract: The development of resistance to multiple drugs is a major problem in the treatment of these infectious diseases. Multidrug Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Candida sp, the major infectious agents have been recently reported in quite a large number of studies. With more intensive studies for natural therapies, marine-derived products have been a promising source for the discovery of novel bioactive compounds. A total of 45 marine fungi were isolated from the two sponges F. cavernosa and D. nigra were screened for antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria and fungi. The novel basal media formulated in the present study resulted in increased frequency of fungal isolates when compared to all other media used in the present study. The cell free supernatant of fungi exhibiting the broad spectrum of activity was subjected to chemical analysis using different chromatographic systems including TLC, Column and GC-MS. Of the 15 fungal strains, 20% (3 strains) showed potential antagonistic activity against a panel of clinical pathogens used in the present study. Based on the antimicrobial activity of the isolates, Aspergillus clavatus MFD15 was recorded as potent producer displaying 100% activity against the tested pathogenic organisms. The TLC of the crude ethyl acetate extract produced 3 spots with Rf values of 0.20, 0.79 and 0.95, respectively. The active TLC fraction was purified in column chromatography which yielded 50 fractions. The active column fractions were combined and analyzed with FT-IR, UV-Vis and GC-MS. The chemical analysis of the active compound envisaged the active compound to be a triazole, 1H-1,2,4 Triazole 3- carboxaldehyde 5- methyl. The triazolic compound was bacteriostic for S. aureus and bactericidal for E. coli. The triazole treated fabric showed 50% reduction in the growth of E. coli, S. aureus, and S. epidermidis. Thus the purified compound can find a place in the database for the development of fabrics with antimicrobial properties. This is the first report that envisaged the production of triazole antimicrobial compound from sponge associated marine fungi from the Indian coast. Key words: Antimicrobial compound, Aspergillus clavatus, marine fungi, marine sponge, multidrug resistant pathogens INTRODUCTION Microbial infections of the skin and underlying tissues are among the most frequent conditions encountered in acute ambulatory care (Fung et al., 2003; Naimi et al., 2003). Skin infections (such as cellulites, erysipelas, trauma and wound related infections) especially when associated with co-morbid conditions and/or bacteraemia, may lead to severe complications and hospital admission. In some cases they can be the cause of extensive morbidity and mortalility (Fung et al., 2003). Such dermal infectious diseases are leading health problems with high morbidity and mortality in developing countries. The development of resistance to multiple drugs is a major problem in the treatment of these infectious diseases. Multidrug resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Candida sp., the major infectious agents have been recently reported in quite a large number of studies. The increased prevalence of antibiotic resistant bacteria due to the extensive use of antibiotics may render the current antimicrobial agents ineffective in the near future (Tanaka et al., 2006). This lacuna warranted the need of new bioactive compounds to emerging and reemerging infectious diseases. Textile are known to be susceptible to microbial infection, as textiles provide large surface area and absorbs moisture which is required for microbial growth (Cardamone, 2002). Thus microbial attack of textile often leads to objectionable odor, dermal infection, allergic responses and other related diseases (Thiry, 2001). Thus it necessitates the development of clothing with antimicrobial properties to combat skin infections. The rate of discovery of novel compounds from terrestrial sources has decreased whereas the rate of re-isolation of known compounds has increased dramatically. Thus it is crucial to explore novel organisms from pristine habitat as