Research Article Open Access Benjamin J. Scherlag, PhD 1* , Ava Scherlag 2# , Jack Scherlag 2## Abstract Background: Many antibiotics have been discovered in soil, however many more have remained undetected. In the present study we used Mung bean seeds to grow plants hydro- ponically. Fungal infestation in some showed consistent growth inhibition. Methods: Store bought Mung bean seeds imported from Thailand grew into mature plants in tap water (pH 7.3-7.5) in six beakers on top of stainless steel strainers (20 seeds per beaker). Results: Of the 6 beakers containing the Mung bean plants, we compared one, showing no noticeable fungal growth (beaker 1) with two which had either moderate fungal growth (beaker 2) and one which had severe fungal infestation (beaker 3). From a quantitative perspective the wet weight/dry weight ratio of the roots cut from beaker 1 was 2.06/0.12 grams (ratio = 17.17) compared to those pooled from Beakers 2 and 3, 1.22/0.73 grams (ratio = 1.70, p < 0.05, Chi-square analysis). The number of grown plants in the beaker 1, 39, was signifcantly greater than in the fungal groups, 22, p < 0.002 (2 × 2 contingency table, Fisher exact test). Comparing the number of seeds that germinated in the Petri dishes containing tap water versus those immersed in liquid from around the roots of the fungal group found, 9/15 in the former; whereas 0/15 germinated in the fungal water group after a week placed in the dark, p = 7 x 10 -4 (Chi-square analysis, 2 × 2 contingency table, Fisher exact test). Conclusion: We found signifcant inhibition of plant growth and seed germination from fungi on seeds grown hydroponically. Keywords: Mung bean seeds and plants; Hydroponic culture; Fungus; Antibiotics *Corresponding author: Benjamin J. Scherlag, PhD, 1200 Everett Drive (6E103), Oklahoma City, OK. 73104, E-mail: benjamin-scherlag@ouhsc.edu Received Date: April 24, 2017 Accepted Date: May 3, 2017 Published Date: May 9, 2017 Citation: Scherlag, B.J., et al. Seeds as a Source of Plant Inhibitory Fungi: Po- tential for Discovering New Antibiotics. (2017) Lett Health Biol Sci 2(1): 61- 64. Lett Health Biol Sci | volume 2: issue 1 www.ommegaonline.com Introduction A study in 2013 from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention [1] reported that each year in the United States, at least 2 million people become infected with bacteria that are re- sistant to antibiotics and at least 23,000 people die annually as a direct result of these infections. Most of the antibiotics have been derived from the bacteria and fungi found in the soil. It has been estimated only one percent of microbes have been discovered in nature. Indeed, most pharmaceutical companies have turned to synthesizing new antibiotics, a slow and diffcult means of get- ting these new agents to the market [2] . From the frst discovery of Penicillin, a number of antibiotics have been discovered from the soil around roots of plants called the rhizosphere. The sur- face of the roots (rhizoplane) is highly active in terms of micro- Seeds as a Source of Plant Inhibitory Fungi: Potential for Discovering New Antibiotics Copyrights: © 2017 Scherlag, B.J. This is an Open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 61 1 Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104 2 Deer Creek School District, Edmond, Oklahoma # Middle School student, Performed as part of a summer project ## High School student, Performed as part of a summer project Letters In Health and Biological Sciences Scherlag, B.J., et al. DOI: 10.15436/2475-6245.17.015 bial activity due to root exudates which contain many different nutrients. The competition of the various microbes and fungi for these nutrients results in toxic metabolites (antibiotics) released by the fungi to survive and fourish in this environment. Thus the rhizosphere becomes an abundant source of antibiotics [3] . The present study is based on an observation that was made while growing Mung bean plants hydroponically from store bought seeds. Some of the plant clusters developed a cot- tony fungus (Figure 1, Rhizoctonia solani) which markedly stunted root and stem growth and inhibited seed germination. We hypothesize that seeds from various species and sources con- tain residual fungi that could provide an abundant supply of po- tential plant and even human antibiotics, i.e., inhibitory growth factors.