The purpose of this study is to isolate new antibiotic and anti-pathogenic compounds from soil bacteria excavated from an archaeological site in the ancient Roman city of Pollentia on the island of Mallorca, Spain. Bacteria were collected from three to four feet underground, isolated and cultured onto yeast or potato dextrose media. Bacteria products were extracted from liquid cultures and activity was tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pythium ultimum, and fractionated on silica TLC and flash chromatography with hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol. One promising culture (OIV-4d) had significant activity against S. aureus, E. coli, and P. ultimum. The second and third rounds of flash chromatography of the sample had 10 of the 16 fractions were able to inhibit growth of bacteria and P. ultimum. The fractions with the greatest inhibition were further separated using an HPLC with a C-18 column. The bacterium’s identification is being identified using DNA extraction and PCR sequencing of the 16s rRNA. Findings from this study suggest that many antibiotics are yet to be discovered.

Antibiotic activity by an unknown Streptomycete from an archeological site on Mallorca

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