Exploration and Antibacterial Potential of Native Bacterial Isolates from Aquatic Sediments and Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) Against Pathogenic Bacteria / Eksplorasi dan Potensi Antibakteri Isolat Bakteri dari Sedimen Perairan dan Limbah Cair Pabrik Kelapa Sawit (LCPKS) terhadap Bakteri Patogen

Resistensi antimikroba menjadi tantangan dalam pengembangan terapi antibakteri sehingga diperlukan eksplorasi sumber mikroorganisme baru penghasil senyawa antibakteri. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengeksplorasi, mengisolasi, mengkarakterisasi, dan mengevaluasi potensi antibakteri bakteri indigenous dari sedimen Sungai Batanghari, Danau Sipin, sedimen mangrove, dan limbah cair kelapa sawit (palm oil mill effluent/POME) terhadap bakteri patogen. Isolat bakteri diperoleh melalui metode isolasi dan pemurnian, kemudian dilakukan karakterisasi morfologi, pewarnaan Gram, uji biokimia, serta pengujian aktivitas antibakteri menggunakan metode difusi cakram terhadap Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, dan Salmonella Typhi. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan adanya variasi karakter morfologi dan fisiologi pada isolat dari berbagai sumber lingkungan. Beberapa isolat memiliki aktivitas antibakteri dengan tingkat penghambatan yang berbeda. Isolat SBHD 44 dan SBHD 67 menunjukkan aktivitas kuat terhadap S. aureus, sedangkan isolat LCM 7 dari POME menunjukkan aktivitas tertinggi terhadap E. coli dengan zona hambat 21,07 mm. Isolat dari Danau Sipin dan sedimen mangrove juga menunjukkan aktivitas antibakteri terhadap bakteri uji tertentu. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa sedimen akuatik dan POME berpotensi sebagai sumber bakteri indigenous penghasil senyawa antibakteri yang dapat dikembangkan lebih lanjut.

Antimicrobial resistance has become a major challenge, requiring exploration of new microbial sources for antibacterial compound discovery. This study aimed to explore, isolate, characterize, and evaluate the antibacterial potential of indigenous bacteria obtained from Batanghari River sediment, Lake Sipin sediment, mangrove sediment, and palm oil mill effluent (POME) against pathogenic bacteria. Bacterial isolates were obtained through isolation and purification methods, followed by morphological characterization, Gram staining, biochemical tests, and antibacterial activity evaluation using the disc diffusion method against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Salmonella Typhi. The results showed diverse morphological and physiological characteristics among bacterial isolates from different environmental sources. Several isolates exhibited antibacterial activity with varying inhibition levels. Isolates SBHD 44 and SBHD 67 showed strong activity against S. aureus, while isolat LCM 7 from POME demonstrated the highest activity against E. coli with an inhibition zone of 21.07 mm. Several isolates from Lake Sipin and mangrove sediment also exhibited antibacterial activity against specific test bacteria. These findings indicate that aquatic sediments and POME are potential sources of indigenous bacteria producing antibacterial compounds for further investigation.