Integrating Culture-Based and Metagenomic Approaches to Unravel the Antimicrobial Potential of Endophytic Bacteria from 𝐴𝑟𝑡𝑜𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑝𝑢𝑠 𝐻𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑦𝑙𝑙𝑢𝑠

The increasing prevalence of pathogens resistant to antibiotics has led to new antimicrobial agents exploration from alternative sources, including microbial-derived compounds. Plants used in traditional medicine, such as Artocarpus heterophyllus (jackfruit), are recognized for their bioactive properties, yet the potential of their endophytic bacteria in producing antimicrobial compounds remains underexplored. Endophytic bacteria were isolated from A. heterophyllus leaves and bark using culture-dependent techniques. Their crude antimicrobial compounds (CACs) were tested against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli using the disc diffusion method. Simultaneously, next-generation sequencing (NGS) of the ۱۶S rRNA gene was employed to obtain the profile of the bacterial communities. Taxonomic diversity, species richness, and dominant genera were analyzed through bioinformatics pipelines. Culture-based analysis revealed that CACs from five isolates effectively inhibited S. aureus but did not affect E. coli. Metagenomic profiling identified a higher bacterial diversity in bark samples compared to leaves, with dominant genera known for antimicrobial properties such as Sphingomonas and Idiomarina. Actinobacteria, a key group of antibiotic producers, accounted for ۶% of the bacterial community in bark samples and ۰.۴% in leaves. The integration of culture-based and metagenomic approaches highlights the rich diversity and antimicrobial potential of A. heterophyllus endophytic bacteria as a source of novel bioactive compounds and lays the groundwork for future research into their therapeutic applications.

کلیدواژه ها:

Artocarpus heterophyllus ، plant microbiome ، Biodiversity ، Antimicrobial Compounds ، next generation sequencing