Identification of epiphytic molds on mulberry leaves and the effect of their secondary metabolites on Staphylococcus aureus and its comparison with vancomycin

Subject Areas : microbiology

fatemehzahra Asadi ¹ , Aqhil tabarmollah hassan ² , Issa Gholampour Azizi ³

1 - Ms Microbiology, Babol Branch, Islamic Azad University, Babol, Iran
2 - Assistant professor, Department of Clinical Science, Babol Branch, Islamic Azad University, Babol, Iran
3 - 3 Assistant professor, Department of Veterinary Science, Babol Branch, Islamic Azad University, Babol, Iran

Received: 2025-01-23 Accepted : 2025-03-05 Published : 2025-04-17

Keywords: Mulberry leaf, Aspergillus, Fusarium, Staphylococcus aureus, epiphyte,

Abstract :

Introduction: Recently, due to the prevalence of antibiotic resistance in bacteria, attention has been growing to biological metabolites as antimicrobial compounds to inhibit them. Therefore, in the present study, epiphytic molds of mulberry leaves and the effect of their secondary metabolites on Staphylococcus aureus were investigated.

Materials and Methods: Fungi were isolated from the mulberry leaf surface, and the effect of their metabolite on Staphylococcus aureus was investigated by determining MIC and MBC and the disk diffusion method.

Results: Aspergillus tereus and Fusarium were identified from mulberry leaves. The average MIC and MBC of Aspergillus tereus metabolite on Staphylococcus aureus was 500 μL/mL, and for Fusarium, it was 250 and 500 μL/mL, respectively.

The values ​​of 20, 40, 60 and 80 microliters metabolite in disk diffusion and 100, 150 and 200 microliters in well diffusion for Aspergillus tereus produced the diameter of the growth inhibition zone of 17, 24, 28 and 30, 31, 35 and 40 mm, respectively, and for Fusarium with the mentioned values, the diameter of the growth inhibition zone was 8, 11, 12 and 15, 16, 18 and 20 mm, respectively. The diameter of the growth inhibition zone of vancomycin was 22 mm.

Conclusion: The diameter of the growth inhibition zone of the metabolite of Aspergillus tereus is higher than that of Fusarium and shows higher effects compared to the antibiotic vancomycin. Therefore, it can be considered as a pharmaceutical combination in future studies.

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