Abstract

This study aims to use submerged fermentation, in conjunction with HPLC-based quantification, to extract, screen, and identify lovastatin-producing fungi from forest soil and to optimize culture conditions to increase output. A total of 21 fungal isolates from soil samples of the Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve in India were evaluated for statin-like activity using a Saccharomyces cerevisiae inhibition assay. For further examination, five functionally isolated strains (C1, C2, C3, D2, and E1) were selected. Submerged fermentation was carried out at several pH levels (4-8), temperatures (20-40'C), and carbon sources (sucrose, dextrose, maltose, lactose, and mannitol). Reverse-phase HPLC was used to measure the synthesis of lovastatin. ITS rDNA sequencing was used to identify a few strains. All five isolates tested showed inhibitory action against S. cerevisiae but not against Candida albicans. Isolate C3 produced the highest amount of lovastatin (41.6% of the extract, w/w) when mannitol was used as the carbon source. In general, neutral-to-alkaline pH (6-8) and moderate temperature (25-30 °C) conditions were found to be optimal for production. Isolates C2, C3, and E1 were found to belong to the Aspergillus section Flavi by ITS rDNA analysis. Isolate E1 was identified as Aspergillus Flavus, while C2 and C3 were cautiously classified as A.Flavus because of their significant sequence similarity. Forest soil fungi have proven to be a promising yet little-studied source of microorganisms capable of producing lovastatin. Their potential for future biotechnological and pharmaceutical applications in statin synthesis is highlighted by the integration of fermentation optimization and HPLC validation.