Background: In this study, we attempted to screen and investigate antibacterial activity of
Bacillus
species, which were isolated from conjunctiva, against other eyes pathogens.
Methods: To examine predominant isolates of
Bacillus subtilis
,
B. pumilus
,
B. cereus
and
B. mojevensis
, isolated from conjunctiva for their antimicrobial activity against indicator microorganisms as
Micrococcus luteus
,
Staphyloccocus aureus
,
S. epidermidis
,
S. hominis
,
S. lugdunensis
,
S. warneri
,
S. haemolyticus
,
B. cereus,
Listeria monocytogenes
, and
Proteus mirabilis
. Growth inhibitions of indicator microorganisms were tested using agar diffusion tests by cells and supernatants of five
B. mojevensis, one
B. subtilis, four
B. cereus and five
B. pumilus strains which were isolated from conjunctiva.
Results:The
Bacillus isolates showed variable ability of inhibition against the tested microorganisms. Two strains of
B. pumillus, 1 strain of
B. subtilis, 5 strains of
B. mojevensis, 1 strain of
B. cereus were efficacious against the tested microorganisms. Most resistant microorganism to these bacteria was
Proteus mirabilis. Two of Gram positive bacteria,
S. lugdenensis (K15-9) and
S. aureus (SDA48), were also found as resistant.
Conclusions: In this study,
Bacillus spp isolated from conjunctiva showed antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria. Human eye-derived microorganisms and their antimicrobial effects might be a useful source of natural products for the future.