Purification and characterization of an antimicrobial compound against drug-resistant MRSA and VRE produced by Streptomyces levis strain HFM-2

Abstract Due to high resistance to medicines, multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial pathogens, particularly MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and VRE (vancomycin-resistant enterococci), are a significant public health concern for treating nosocomial infections. Researchers are developing novel compounds responding to the global rise in MDR infections. This study aimed to extract, purify, and characterize bioactive metabolites from Streptomyces levis strain HFM-2, a human gut isolate, exhibiting strong antimicrobial activity against several MDR pathogenic bacteria and fungal phytopathogens. Ethyl acetate extract of S. levis strain HFM-2 was purified using silica-gel column chromatography and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Structure elucidation of the purified antimicrobial compound was done by performing detailed analyses including MS, IR, and NMR. The bacteriostatic activity of the compound revealed interesting values against broad-spectrum MDR pathogens. The bacterial cell destruction was recorded through SEM and fluorescence microscopy analyses. HFM-2P is displayed to be non-mutagenic and non-cytotoxic to the normal cell line. However, dose-dependent cytotoxicity was observed against the HeLa cancer cell line and exhibited antimutagenic activity against Salmonella Typhimurium strains (TA98 and TA100). This study is the first to report antiproliferative, DNA protective potential, antimutagenic properties, and antimicrobial activity of a 2,6-disubstituted chromone derivative isolated from S. levis strain HFM-2 against drug-resistant MRSA, VRE, and fungal phytopathogens. Therefore, this essential compound could be a candidate for future research in the pharmaceutical and agricultural sectors.