Screening For Anti-plasmodium Activity Using Extracts From Extremophiles Found In Lake Bogoria, Kenya

Abstract

Recent studies have shown that microorganisms living in extreme environments are a potential source of medicinal compounds from their secondary metabolites. The Kenyan Rift Valley has several soda Lake and hot spring environments that are inhabited by extremophiles, whose medicinal value has not been investigated. This study therefore aimed at isolating and extracting secondary metabolites from extremophiles with bioactivity against P. Jalciparum parasites and eventual characterisation and molecular identification of these isolates. Water samples were collected from soda lakes and streaked on alkaline agar media. The bacterial colonies that grew were picked and replica plated on fresh agar plates. Forty-three pure colonies were isolated based on colony morphology and were designated as independent isolates. These colonies were incubated in liquid media for approximately two weeks at 45° C to produce secondary metabolites. The metabolites were extracted by methanol and screened for antimalarial acti vity . Five isolates with the highest activity against P. Jalciparum were identified and classified using the 16S rDNA -analysis. PCR amplification of the 16S rDNA produced a 1.5kb fragment, which was sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis of the par.tial sequences showed that the isolates . cluster together with Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus sonorensis, Bacillus subtilis, and Pseudo bacillus carolinae species. Key Words: Extremophiles, secondary metabolites, anti-malarial activity, 16S rDNA, P. Jalcipar