Abstract:
Actinomycetes have provided many industrially important bioactive compounds
having great economic importance and always being a curious organism for
secondary metabolite production. Actinomycetes have long been recognized as
prolific producers of enzymes, antibiotics, anti cancerous agents and play important
role in recycling of organic matter. Numerous methods have been advocated for
isolation of actinomycetes to facilitate the discovery of natural compounds
specially antibiotics. Isolation of actinomycetes can fulfill all the novel
essentialities associated with actinomycetes. Actinomycetes are widely distributed
in the natural habitats, hence various methods like pretreatments, enrichment,
combinations of antibiotics, specific isolation media and some novel methods has
been adapted for isolation. Marine actinomycetes were also isolated by various
methods and found to be important source for novel secondary metabolites. Rare
actinomycetes isolated by providing combinations of methods or high throughput
screening methods. Endophytic actinomycetes can be isolated by mostly chemical
treatment for surface sterilization followed by serial dilution. Strategy for a range
of isolation methods have been mentioned in this review for discovery of various
genera of actinomycetes.
