ANTIFUNGAL SUSCEPTIBILITY PROFILING OF FUNGAL ISOLATES RECOVERED FROM PHARMACEUTICAL WASTE SITES AND THEIR CHARACTERIZATION AS SOURCE OF BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS

Background: The emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among different microbial species increases mortality and morbidity rates and makes healthcare services unaffordable. The pace in acquiring resistance to antimicrobial agents stresses the dire need for novel drug discoveries and defining new drug targets. Objectives: The present study aimed to isolate and identify the fungi from pharmaceutical waste sites, their antifungal profiling and characterization as potential antibiotic producers. Methods: Fungal isolates were primarily screened for antibiotic production following the giant colony method against standard bacterial pathogens and further screened to evaluate their capacity as extracellular antibiotic producers. Antifungal susceptibility testing to commonly prescribe antifungal agents was also performed for the recovered fungal isolates. Result and Conclusion: Total fifteen (n=15) fungal isolates recovered including Aspergillus sp., Alternaria sp., Candida sp., Rhizopus sp., Geotrichum sp., Rhodotorula sp., Pyricularia sp., Trichosporon sp., Trichothecum sp., and Fusarium sp. Cell-free supernatant (CFS) obtained from Geotrichum sp., Fusarium sp. and Trichosporon sp. were extracellular antibiotic producers with maximum zone size of 22mm, 16mm and 14mm respectively against Escherichia coli MTCC-1687. CFS obtained between 15^th – 18^th days of fermentation was observed with maximum bioactivity. Antifungal susceptibility testing shown maximum resistance to amphotericin B and it was least for fluconazole. Multiple Antibiotic Resistance (MAR) score was ranged between 0.6-0.8 indicating high risk source of antibiotic contamination. The incidence of highly resistant strains among environmental fungal isolates describes the impact of a pharmaceutical waste laden environment on the selection of resistant species.