ANTIMICROBIAL AND DNA DAMAGING ACTIVITY OF OCHRATOXIN A EXTRACTED FROM PENICILLIUM SPECIES

Abstract

The present investigation was carried out by ten bacterial species, Bacillus subtilis, Escherishia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Micrococcus luteus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas putida, Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris, Staphylococcus aureus and five fungal species, Aspergillus terreus, Penicillium aurantiogriseum, P.expansum, Paceliomycs varioti, Fusarium graminarium were screened for their sensitivity against ochratoxin A (OTA) produced by Penicillium verrucosum. Proteus mirabilis was highly sensitive followed by E.aureogens, B.subtilis and K. pneumoniae. Rest of the bacteria was intermediate in their sensitivity when compared with the streptomycin as standard.  Similarly P.aurantiogriseum and Paeciolomyces varioti were comparatively more sensitive than the other fungi under study. Aspergillus terreus and P.expansum was sensitive to an intermediate extent. Simultaneously the DNA damaging activity of OTA was also evaluated by _PRSET-B plasmid DNA treated with H₂O₂ plus different concentrations of OTA. The highest DNA stand breaks was observed on even at 25µg/ml of OTA and complete degradation of DNA stand breaks was observed on 30µg/ml of OTA.