Abstract

The major gut microflora colonizing the hind gut of higher termites, include morphologically diverse microorganisms. The objective of this study was to identify by morphological and biochemical methods of the antibiotic producing microorganisms in the gut of Macrotermes michaelseni. Macrotermes michaelseni harbor dense population of actinobacteria, which are known to produce a wide variety of secondary metabolites including many commercially important enzymes and antibiotics. In this study the Macrotermes michaelseni were collected from actively growing mound in Maseno University compound. Hind gut homogenates were serially diluted in sterile basal salt solution (104, 105 and 106) then pasteurized in a hot water bath at a temperature of 63 °C for 30 minutes and finally transferred onto plates containing the solid media MM7 and MM7 + glucose + Asparagine. The isolates obtained were different morphologically. Gram stain determination showed that majority of the isolates had gram negative bacteria. Indole, Citrate utilization and Triple sugar iron tests were carried out on the nine out of the seventeen isolates that showed particularly strong inhibition patterns. Biochemical tests carried out confirmed that termite gut harbour different additional indigenous microorganisms where Salmonella paratyphi, Shigella species and Shigella flexneri were identified.

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