An overview on actinomycetes: A source of antimicrobial compounds

Abstract

Actinomycetes are aerobic, spore forming Gram positive bacteria. Their structure has substrate and aerial mycelium. They are the most abundant microorganisms in the soil, producing earthy smell in ploughed soil. Actinomycetes were explored because they produce important secondary metabolites that plays important roles in many physiological, cellular and biological processes. For example, antibiotics, biopesticide agents, plant growth hormones, antitumor compound, antiviral agents, pharmacological compounds, pigments, enzymes, etc. Among many, Streptomyces sps. was the most explored and useful soil actinomycetes. In recent time, new strains of actinomycetes were isolated from extreme environment because of their wide range of application in pharmaceutical, food, agriculture and environmental industries. Therefore, this review is aimed on the use of Actinomycetes as a potential source for novel antimicrobial compounds and highlight on its application in various sectors like medicine, biotechnology, industries, agriculture and research.