Isolation and characterization of Pediococcus sp. with antimicrobial activity from phyllosphere of fruit trees

Introduction: The phyllosphere is a microbiology term to refer to the total above-ground portions of plants as habitat for microorganisms. Since the fresh fruits and salads are not cooked prior to consumption it could be the attractive source for isolation and identification of probiotic microbes. The isolation of probiotics from fermented foods including yogurt, cheese and native’s dairy products are reported in vast studies but in this research 8 strains of bacteria with probiotic potentiality were isolated from phyllosphere of fruit trees. Material Methods: The bacteria were isolated from phyllosphere of fruit trees via culture in MRS agar at 35° C for 48h. Tolerance of the selected strains were examined for there to acid [pH3] and bile salt [0.3%]. The isolates were characterized to the antibiotic resistance and antimicrobial activity. Two of isolates with high acid and bile tolerance, antibiotic sensitivity and antimicrobial activity were identified by 16s rDNA sequencing. Results: The isolate bacteria were 100% similar to Pedicoccus acidulates and P.cerevisae. These bacteria displayed antimicrobial activity against both gram-negative and gram positive pathogenic bacteria. Conclusion: This study showed that philosopher of fruit trees could be an attractive source for isolation of human indigenous friendly microbe to application in antimicrobial products.