Antimicrobial Activity of Endophytic Bacteria Isolated from the Roots of Avicennia marina (Forssk.) Against Escherichia coli
Keywords:
Endophytic bacteria, Avicennia marina (Forssk.), Escherichia coli, Antimicrobial, MangroveAbstract
Endophytic bacteria are beneficial microorganisms that interact with the host plant without causing damage. This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial activity of endophytic bacteria from the roots of Avicennia marina (Forssk.) against Escherichia coli. Samples were collected using a purposive sampling approach with 9 repetitions. Endophytic bacteria were isolated from root tissues and identified using Gram staining and biochemical tests (Simmons citrate, SIM, TSIA, methyl red, catalase, BAP, and MCA). The antimicrobial activity test used the disc diffusion method with a 100% concentration of endophytic bacterial suspension adjusted to 0,5 McFarland standard; ampicillin served as the positive control. Three bacterial isolates were obtained: Aeromonas sp., Enterobacter sp., and Bacillus sp. The average inhibition zones were 18,78 mm (Aeromonas sp.), 15,1 mm (Enterobacter sp.), and 16,66 mm (Bacillus sp.). Based on the standard for interpreting inhibition zones (≥20 mm = very strong; 10–20 mm = strong), all isolates demonstrated strong antibacterial potential. One-way ANOVA revealed a significant difference among the three isolates (p < 0,001), with Aeromonas sp. showing the highest activity. This study is novel in providing the first comparative evidence that Aeromonas sp. from Avicennia marina (Forssk.) roots exhibits superior antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli growth.
References
Abdallah, E. M., Alhudhaibi, A. M., Dahab, M., Al Noman, A., Sharma, P. D., Taha, T. H., & Nawaz, M. (2026). The WHO Priority List of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria: Challenges and Opportunities for Next-Generation Antimicrobial Development. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 17, 1699987. https://doi.org/10.3389/FPHAR.2026.1699987
Adedeji, W. A. (2016). The Treasure Called Antibiotics. Annals of Ibadan postgraduate medicine, 14(2), 56. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5354621/
Adjei, M. O., Yu, R., Cao, X., & Fan, B. (2025). The Mechanisms of Bacillus subtilis as a Plant-Beneficial Rhizobacterium in Plant–Microbe Interactions. Microorganisms, 13(12), 2823. https://doi.org/10.3390/MICROORGANISMS13122823
Alghamdi, S. M. S., Alzahrani, R. A. J., Alghamdi, S. S. A., Alzahrani, R. M. A., Alghamdi, H. A. A., Alghamdi, D. A. M., ... & Alghamdi, M. (2023). Self-Medication Practices among the General Population in Al-Baha City, Saudi Arabia: a Cross-Sectional Study. Cureus, 15(12). https://doi.org/10.7759/CUREUS.50810
Amaeze, N. R., Okechukwu, A. C., Bisiriyu, H., Ekweli, O. A., & Umeokoli, B. (2026). Marine Endophytic Fungi from Mangroves: Chemical Diversity, Biosynthetic Pathways, and Therapeutic Potential. Scientific African, e03123. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SCIAF.2025.E03123
Andrić, S., Meyer, T., & Ongena, M. (2020). Bacillus Responses to Plant-Associated Fungal and Bacterial Communities. Frontiers in microbiology, 11, 1350. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.01350
Angelini, P. (2024). Plant-Derived Antimicrobials and Their Crucial Role in Combating Antimicrobial Resistance. Antibiotics, 13(8), 746. https://doi.org/10.3390/ANTIBIOTICS13080746
Azzahra, F., Prasetyawati, E. T., & Lestari, S. R. (2025). Isolation and Characterization of Endophytic Bacteria from the Roots of Avicennia sp. in the Mangrove Area of Gunung Anyar, Surabaya. Jurnal Pembelajaran dan Biologi Nukleus, 11(1), 219-232. https://doi.org/10.36987/jpbn.v11i1.6596
Bahri, S., Fajarwati, A. E., Setiawan, A., Hendri, J., Yuwono, S. D., Ambarwati, Y., & Zainul, R. (2024). Steroid Compounds from Endophytic (Penicillium sp.) of Mangrove Avicennia marina. Journal of Medicinal and Chemical Sciences, 7(2), 402-425. https://doi.org/10.26655/JMCHEMSCI.2024.2.12
Balouiri, M., Sadiki, M., & Ibnsouda, S. K. (2016). Methods for in Vitro Evaluating Antimicrobial Activity: a Review. Journal of pharmaceutical analysis, 6(2), 71-79. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JPHA.2015.11.005
Cesa-Luna, C., Alatorre-Cruz, J. M., Carreno-Lopez, R., Quintero-Hernandez, V., & Baez, A. (2021). Emerging Applications of Bacteriocins as Antimicrobials, Anticancer Drugs, and Modulators of the Gastrointestinal Microbiota. Polish Journal of Microbiology, 70(2), 143. https://doi.org/10.33073/PJM-2021-020
Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. (2026). CLSI M100 Performance Standards for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Retrieved from: https://clsi.org/shop/standards/m100/
Davis, W. W., & Stout, T. R. (1971). Disc Plate Method of Microbiological Antibiotic Assay: I. Factors Influencing Variability and Error. Applied microbiology, 22(4), 659-665. https://doi.org/10.1128/AM.22.4.659-665.1971
Dechavez, R., Calub, M. L., Genobata, D. R., Balacuit, R., Jose, R., & Tabugo, S. R. (2022). Identification of Culture-Dependent Microbes from Mangroves Reveals Dominance of Bacillus Including Medically Important Species Based on DNA Signature. Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity, 23(10), 5342-5350. https://doi.org/10.13057/biodiv/d231044
Drożdżyński, P., Rutkowska, N., Rodziewicz, M., & Marchut-Mikołajczyk, O. (2024). Bioactive Compounds Produced by Endophytic Bacteria and Their Plant Hosts—an Insight into the World of Chosen Herbaceous Ruderal Plants in Central Europe. Molecules, 29(18), 4456. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29184456
Dutta, P., Muthukrishnan, G., Gopalasubramaiam, S., Dharmaraj, R., Karuppaiah, A., Loganathan, K., ... & Mishra, A. K. (2022). Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) and its Mechanisms Against Plant Diseases for Sustainable Agriculture and Better Productivity. Biocell, 46(8), 1843-1859. https://doi.org/10.32604/biocell.2022.019291
Geurtsen, J., de Been, M., Weerdenburg, E., Zomer, A., McNally, A., & Poolman, J. (2022). Genomics and Pathotypes of the Many Faces of Escherichia coli. FEMS microbiology reviews, 46(6), fuac031. https://doi.org/10.1093/FEMSRE/FUAC031
Haseeba, K. P., Aboobacker, V. M., Vethamony, P., & Al-Khayat, J. A. (2025). Water and Sediment Characteristics in the Avicennia marina Environment of the Arabian Gulf: A review. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 216, 117963. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.MARPOLBUL.2025.117963
He, D., Singh, S. K., Peng, L., Kaushal, R., Vílchez, J. I., Shao, C., ... & Zhang, H. (2022). Flavonoid-Attracted Aeromonas sp. from the Arabidopsis Root Microbiome Enhances Plant Dehydration Resistance. The ISME journal, 16(11), 2622-2632. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41396-022-01288-7
Hernández-Amador, E., Montesdeoca-Flores, D. T., & Luis-Jorge, J. C. (2026). Bacillus as Premier Biocontrol Agents: Mechanistic Insights, Strategic Application, and Future Regulatory Landscapes in Sustainable Agriculture. Plants, 15(3), 516. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15030516
Hibbert, T., Krpetic, Z., Latimer, J., Leighton, H., McHugh, R., Pottenger, S., ... & James, C. E. (2024). Antimicrobials: an Update on New Strategies to Diversify Treatment for Bacterial Infections. Advances in Microbial Physiology, 84, 135-241. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.ampbs.2023.12.002
Hnamte, L., Kumar, A., Yadav, M. K., & Singh, P. K. (2024). An Updated View of Bacterial Endophytes as Antimicrobial Agents Against Plant and Human Pathogens. Current research in microbial sciences, 7, 100241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crmicr.2024.100241
Janesha, U. G. S., Rathnayake, H., Hewawasam, R. P., & Wijayaratne, W. M. D. G. B. (2020). In Vitro Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Activity of Leaf Extracts of Litsea iteodaphne Against a Selected Group of Bacteria Including Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Advanced Biomedical Research, 9(1), 21. https://doi.org/10.4103/ABR.ABR_234_19
Jia, D., Arbab, S., Ullah, H., Alzahrani, K. J., Alzahrani, F. M., Alsharif, K. F., ... & Li, K. (2025). Antibacterial Activity of Traditional Medicinal Plants: Combating Antibiotics Resistance in Animal Wound Infections. Veterinary Medicine and Science, 11(3), e70361. https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.70361
Mashuri, Y. A., Hasanah, M., Rahayu, I. D., Liverani, M., Probandari, A., Batura, N., ... & Wibawa, T. (2025). Post-Market Quality Assessment of Antibiotics: Findings from a Cross-Sectional Study Using Standardised Patients in Tabalong and Bekasi Districts, Indonesia. BMJ open, 15(5), e087801. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-087801
Murray, C. J., Ikuta, K. S., Sharara, F., Swetschinski, L., Aguilar, G. R., Gray, A., ... & Tasak, N. (2022). Global Burden of Bacterial Antimicrobial Resistance in 2019: a Systematic Analysis. The lancet, 399(10325), 629-655. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)02724-0
Nammi, J., Pasala, R., Andhe, N., Vasam, R., Poruri, A. D., Sherikar, R. R., & Nammi, J. Y. (2025). Antibiotic Misuse: an in-Depth Examination of its Global Consequences and Public Health Challenges. Cureus, 17(6). https://doi.org/10.7759/CUREUS.85941
Narayanan, Z., & Glick, B. R. (2022). Secondary Metabolites Produced by Plant Growth-Promoting Bacterial Endophytes. Microorganisms, 10(10), 2008. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10102008
Ntabo, R. M., Nyamache, A. K., Lwande, W., Kabii, J., & Nonoh, J. (2018). Enzymatic Activity of Endophytic Bacterial Isolates from Selected Mangrove Plants in Kenya. The Open Microbiology Journal, 12(1), 354-363. https://doi.org/10.2174/1874285801812010354
Nugroho, R. Y., Hendri, M., Putri, W. A. E., & Agussalim, A. (2022). Phytochemical Profile and Toxicity of Extracts from the Leaf of Avicennia marina (Forssk.) Vierh. Collected in Mangrove Areas Affected by Port Activities. South African Journal of Botany, 150, 903-919. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SAJB.2022.08.037
Rahmawati, N., Sudjarwo, E., & Widodo, E. (2014). Uji Aktivitas Antibakteri Ekstrak Herbal terhadap Bakteri Escherichia coli. Jurnal ilmu-ilmu peternakan, 24(3), 24-31. https://jiip.ub.ac.id/index.php/jiip/article/view/184
Ramadhanty, M. A., Lunggani, A. T., & Nurhayati, N. (2021). Isolasi Bakteri Endofit Asal Tumbuhan Mangrove Avicennia marina dan Kemampuannya sebagai Antimikroba Patogen Staphylococcus aureus dan Salmonella typhi secara in Vitro. NICHE Journal of Tropical Biology, 4(1), 16-22. https://doi.org/10.14710/niche.4.1.16-22
Ramírez-López, M., Bautista-Cruz, A., Toledo-López, A., & Aquino-Bolaños, T. (2025). Rhizospheric and Endophytic Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria Associated with Coffea arabica L. and Coffea canephora Pierre ex Froehner: A Review of Their Agronomic Potential. Microorganisms, 13(11), 2567. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13112567
Sahu, P. K., Tilgam, J., Mishra, S., Hamid, S., Gupta, A., K, J., ... & Kharwar, R. N. (2022). Surface Sterilization for Isolation of Endophytes: Ensuring What (Not) to Grow. Journal of Basic Microbiology, 62(6), 647-668. https://doi.org/10.1002/jobm.202100462
Salam, M. A., Al-Amin, M. Y., Pawar, J. S., Akhter, N., & Lucy, I. B. (2023). Conventional Methods and Future Trends in Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing. Saudi journal of biological sciences, 30(3), 103582. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2023.103582
Salam, M. A., Al-Amin, M. Y., Salam, M. T., Pawar, J. S., Akhter, N., Rabaan, A. A., & Alqumber, M. A. (2023). Antimicrobial Resistance: a Growing Serious Threat for Global Public Health. In Healthcare 11(13), 1946. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11131946
Sari, M. P., Wiyono, S., Giyanto, Maharijaya, A., & Wahyuno, D. (2025). Optimization of Surface Sterilization Techniques to Enhance the Diversity of Leaf Endophytic Fungal Isolates from Bitter Ginger. In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 1494(1), 012022). https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1494/1/012022
SeyedAlinaghi, S., Mehraeen, E., Mirzapour, P., Yarmohammadi, S., Dehghani, S., Zare, S., ... & Jahanfar, S. (2025). A Systematic Review on Natural Products with Antimicrobial Potential Against WHO’s Priority Pathogens. European Journal of Medical Research, 30(1), 525. https://doi.org/10.1186/S40001-025-02717-X
Triest, L., Del Socorro, A., Gado, V. J., Mazo, A. M., & Sierens, T. (2021). Avicennia Genetic Diversity and Fine-Scaled Structure Influenced by Coastal Proximity of Mangrove Fragments. Frontiers in Marine Science, 8, 643982. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.643982
Tripathi, N., Zubair, M., & Sapra, A. (2025). Gram Staining. StatPearls Publishing. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK562156/
Wrońska, N., Szlaur, M., Zawadzka, K., & Lisowska, K. (2022). The Synergistic Effect of Triterpenoids and Flavonoids—New Approaches for Treating Bacterial Infections?. Molecules, 27(3), 847. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27030847
Yu, F., Shen, Y., Qin, Y., Pang, Y., Fan, H., Peng, J., ... & Liu, X. (2022). Isolation and Purification of Antibacterial Lipopeptides from Bacillus velezensis YA215 Isolated from Sea Mangroves. Frontiers in Nutrition, 9, 1064764. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.1064764
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Laboratory Journal of Infectious Diseases
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
