Screening and Evaluation of Antibacterial Metabolites from Entomopathogenic Fungi

Entomopathogenic fungal species have been investigated for their potential use as biological control agents owing to their natural role as insect pathogens. These fungi produce a wide range of secondary metabolites with high therapeutic values, such as antibiotics and cytotoxic substances. To evaluate the antibacterial activity of entomopathogenic fungi, 10 isolates from Korean soil were selected and tested for their activity against Escherichia coli by using fungal culture filtrates. Antibacterial activity was assessed using a two-step process: (1) a screening assay for the selection of fungal isolates and (2) a quantitative assay to evaluate the activity of select fungi. Although 4 fungal isolates were selected through the screening assay, only 3 fungal isolates, from Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae , showed high antibacterial activity according to the quantitative assay. The antibacterial activity of selected fungal culture filtrates was stable when exposed to heat and proteolytic enzyme treatments, which indicated that the antibacterial compound is not a protein. These entomopathogenic fungal metabolites might be useful as a source for bacterial control and in the pharmaceutical industry.