SURVEY OF FUNGAL DIVERSITY IN WATER AND ITS IMPACT ON HUMAN HEALTH

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1 SURVEY OF FUNGAL DIVERSITY IN WATER AND ITS IMPACT ON HUMAN HEALTH Shaista Parveen*, Shraddha Gupta**, Beena Sharma*** Kavita Sharma**** * Department of Life Science, MATS University, Raipur (C.G.), India. **Modern Biotech Research Lab, Raipur (C.G.), India. ***Scientific Officer CGCOST, Raipur (C.G.), India. ****Department of Botany, Arts and Commerce Girls College, Raipur (C.G.), India. drktsharma@gmail.com) ABSTRACT Several airborne organisms, their fragments as well as particles of biological origin float in the atmosphere. Fungi are pervasive airborne allergens and are important causes of human diseases, especially in the upper and lower respiratory tracts. Allergy is one form of human disease which affects about 20% of the population. Fungal spores are very numerous in the air and, on the basis of their dimensions (several micrometers), are classed as a bioaerosol. Their concentration changes depending on environmental conditions. Therefore, in the present work seasonal variation of water mycoflora of Dudhawa Dam was done with the help of petriplate method. The investigation period to observe the seasonal percentage contributions of the water mycoflora of Dudhawa dam was from November 2010 to October Maximum percentage contribution of fungal species 83.75% were observed in the winter season, moderate 66.25% in rainy season and minimum percentage contribution 61.25% were observed during the summer season. Aspergillus niger showed maximum percentage contribution throughout the investigation period i.e %, followed by A. luchensis 3.62%, A. flavus 3.30%, A. ochraceus 2.36%, Mucor racemosus, Aspergillus terreus, A. versicolor, Cladosporium cladosporioides 1.73%, Cladosporium sphaerospermum, Penicillium chrysogenum, P. notatum, 1.57%, Aspergillus fumigates, Curvularia pallescence, Curvularia pinniseti 1.42%. It was also observed that Periconia digitata, Periconia sacchari, Pestalotiopsis disseminate, Pestalotiopsis versicolor, Trichoderma viride, Truncatella sp. Showed minimum contribution 0.16%. KEYWORDS: Allergens, Aspergillus, bioaerosol Dudhawa Dam, fungal spores, mycoflora. INTRODUCTION Water covers 70.9% of the Earth's surface, and is vital for all known forms of life. Without water, life would not have evolved on Earth. A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. A dam can also be used to collect water or for storage of water which can be evenly distributed between locations for drinking and various other purposes. Dams support a wide diversity of flora and fauna. They are major source of assorted microorganisms like fungi, bacteria, viruses etc. Fungi are multicellular, achlorophyllous, heterotrophic, eukaryotic and spore bearing organisms surrounded by a well-defined cell wall of chitin, with or without fungal cellulose traces along with many other complex organic molecules. Fungi are cosmopolitan in origin and various environmental factors: wind, moisture, temperature and air pollution affect and alter the density and frequency of a fungal species in any medium. Furthermore, temperature, water potential, humidity and ph have a critical influence on the growth and survival of fungi. Many aquatic fungi including important human pathogens are able to grow in water and land [Mullenborn et. al. 2008]. The present work focuses on isolation and identification of water mycoflora of Dudhawa dam, Chhattisgarh (India) and to explore human pathogenic species from drinking water resources. The survey is conducted for one year from November 2010 to October MATERIALS AND METHODS Dudhawa dam is situated at 81 45'21" E longitude and 21 18'1" N latitude across the Mahanadi river and near Dudhawa village about 21 km west of the Sihawa near the origin of Mahanadi river and 29 km east of Kanker. The dam is in Dhamtari district of Chhattisgarh state. Water samples from the dam were collected every first week of the month in sterilized bottles and brought to the laboratory for further isolation and identification. Water samples were inoculated in Petri plates containing PDA media with three replications [Grover et. al. 2007] and incubated at 28±1 0 C for 6-7 days. After incubation period the percentage contribution of the fungal flora was calculated by the formula given below. Pure cultures of isolated fungi were made and cultures were further send to National Centre of Fungal Taxonomy, New Delhi (India) for identification. Total no. of colonies of a species in all observations taken together Percentage Contribution = X100 Total no. of colonies Volume 2 Issue 2 (2013) ISSN: (Print); (Online) 2013 DAMA International. All rights reserved. 1

2 RESULTS Maximum percentage contribution of fungal species 83.75% were observed in the winter season, moderate 66.25% in rainy season and minimum percentage contribution 61.25% were observed during the summer season (Figure 1). 80 fungal species belonging to 41 fungal genera are isolated from the Dudhawa dam. Out of these 80 species 5 fungal species belongs to Zygomycotina, 6 fungal species belongs to Ascomycotina, 66 fungal species belongs to Anamorphic fungi, 2 species belongs to mycelia sterilia, and 1 unknown species were observed (Table 1). Table 1: Percentage contribution of fungal species S. No. Name of fungi % Contribution Zygomycotina 1. Choanephora cucurbitarum Mucor racemosus Rhizopus oryzae Rhizopus nigricans Syncephalastrum racemosum 0.47 Ascomycotina 1. Ascotricha chartarum Chaetomium globosum Emericella nidulans Eupenicillium javanicum Nigrosabulum globosum 0 6. Thielavia terricola 0.62 Anamorphic fungi 1. Acremonium stictum Alternaria alternate Alternaria tenuissima Arthrinum pheospermum Aspergillus flavus Aspergillus fumigatus Aspergillus japonicas Aspergillus luchensis Aspergillus niger Aspergillus nidulans Aspergillus niveus Aspergillus ochraceus Aspergillus stillatus Aspergillus sydowii Aspergillus tamari Aspergillus terreus Aspergillus terreus var. aureus Aspergillus ustus Aspergillus versicolor Cladosporium cladosporioides Cladosporium oxysporum Cladosporium sphaerospermum Coleophoma crateriformis Colletotrichum gloeosporioides Curvularia lunata var. aeria Curvularia oryzae Curvularia ovoidea Curvularia pallescence Curvularia pinniseti Curvularia tuberculata Diplococcium sp Drechslera bicolor Drechslera indica Drechslera hevalianthesis Fusarium oxysporum 0.94 Volume 2 Issue 2 (2013) ISSN: (Print); (Online) 2013 DAMA International. All rights reserved. 2

3 Table 1: Continued S. No. Name of fungi % Contribution 36. Fusarium pallidoroseum Fusarium solani Haplosphaeria deformans Humicola grisea var. grisea Linodochium sp. Nov Memnoniella echinata Monilia sp Myrothecium verrucaria Nigrospora oryzae Nigrospora sphaerica Nodulisporium sp. Nov Paecilomyces varioti Penicillium chrysogenum Penicillium citrinum Penicillium frequentans Penicillium multicolor Penicillium notatum Periconia digitata Periconia sacchari Pestalotiopsis disseminata Pestalotiopsis versicolor Phoma epicoccina Phoma exigua Phoma glomerata Phoma sorghina Pithomyces chartarum Torula sp Trichoderma atroviride Trichoderma viride Trichothecium roseum Truncatella sp. Nov 0.15 Mycelia sterilia 1. Mycelia sterilia (White) Mycelia sterilia (Ash) 0.94 Unknown fungi 1. Unknown fungi 0.15 Figure 1. Seasonal percentage contribution of water Mycoflora of Dudhawa Dam. Volume 2 Issue 2 (2013) ISSN: (Print); (Online) 2013 DAMA International. All rights reserved. 3

4 Aspergillus niger showed maximum percentage contribution throughout the investigation period i.e %, followed by A. luchensis 3.62%, A. flavus 3.30%, A. ochraceus 2.36%, Mucor racemosus, Aspergillus terreus, A. versicolor, Cladosporium cladosporioides 1.73%, Cladosporium sphaerospermum, Penicillium chrysogenum, P. notatum, 1.57%, Aspergillus fumigates, Curvularia pallescence, Curvularia pinniseti 1.42%. It was also observed that Periconia digitata, Periconia sacchari, Pestalotiopsis disseminate, Pestalotiopsis versicolor, Trichoderma viride, Truncatella sp. Showed minimum contribution 0.16%. DISCUSSION As we know fungi are among the most diverse groups of living organisms on earth, though inadequately studied worldwide [Bunyard Britt 2003, Chang Yun et al 2004 & Deryck 2006]. Generally, climate of the area influence the growth & distribution of fungi [Nasser 2004]. During this study it was found that, the biggest toll group anamorphic fungi, as a whole, dominated the entire water mycoflora and present throughout year. Out of 80 fungal species which is isolated during study, the broadest spectrum of species is shown by Aspergillus (15 species). Aspergillus niger, A. fumigatus, A. flavus, A. versicolor, Aspergillus stillatus,aspergillus sydowii, and, Aspergillus ustus are commonest species, show maximum percentage frequency and contribution. Aspergillus is one of the more commonly isolated genera in water [Kwon et. al & Shaista Parveen et. al. 2011]. [Nasser 2005] also found that the genera Aspergillus (9 species out of 45 species, 166 colonies out of 400 fungal total counts) and Penicillium (7 species, 68 colonies) had the greatest diversity of the isolated species as well as the highest fungal total count. [Dehoog et al., 2000], described that many species of genus Aspergillus are found in water and are causative agents of kidney, liver disorders, allergy, burns, Otitis media and increase risk of invasive infections. [Canovas, et al., 2003] detected sixteen fungal species in a total of 100 drinking water samples including Acremonium strictum (4%), Aspergillus flavus (2%), Aspergillus niger (2%), Aureobasidium (2%), Cladosporium (14%), Pseudallescheria boydii (12%), Fusarium cacasicum (8%), Fusarium moniliform (4%), Fusarium oxysporum (4%), Penicillium chrysogenum (8%), Penicillium corylophilum (4%), Phialophora bubakii (2%) and Phoma exigua (2%). Schwab & Straus, (2004) [Schwab & Straus 2004] investigated that Penicillium spp. is frequently found in fresh water and its implication in allergy, asthma or other respiratory problems has been cited in many previous research studies. [Nikaeen, and Mirhendi 2008] described that Aspergillus species in drinking water are involved in the production of health risks. It was known from the study that fungal species are predominantly pathogenic for human beings such as Alternaria alternata, Curvularia lunata and Penicillium chrysogenum which cause allergy in human beings [Green et. al. 2003]. Fusarium oxysporum produces infections in human beings causing fusariosis [Dignani, and Anaissie 2004]. Hence, this study does hold a sound and ample importance that water resources must be screened especially when it is distributed for drinking purposes. CONCLUSION Public and private awareness campaign should be initiated so that people may apply certain precautionary parameters prior to use of any type of water resource for community use. REFERENCES Sharma K P., Kumar P. and Kumar S. (2007). Response of fungal community in the unpolluted and polluted (textile and distillery wastes) habitats. J. Environ. Sci.Engineering. 49(2): Nasser Laila A. (2005). Occurrence of Terrestrial Fungi in Accumulated Rainfall Water in Saudi Arabia, J. King Saud Univ. J. Agricultural Sci.18: 63-72, Riyadh. Kwon Jin-Hyeuk and Chang-Seuk Park. (2003). Sooty Mold of Persimmon (Diospyros kaki) Caused by Cladosporium cladosporioide. J. Plant Patho;.19(5): Deryck Damian Pattron. (2006). Aspergillus, Health Implication & Recommendations for Public Health Food Safety. Internet J. Food Safety. 8: Chang Yun C., Tsai Huei-Fung., Karos Marvin. And Kwon Chung K. J. (2004). THTA, a thermo-tolerance gene of Aspergillus fumigatus. Fungal Genetics Biol.41: Bunyard Britt A. (2003). A Survey of Fungal Diversity in Northeast Ohio, The Ohio. J. Sci.103 (2): Nasser, L.A. (2004). Incidence of terrestrial fungi in drinking water collected from different schools in Riyadh region, Saudi Arabia. Pak. J. Bio. Sci. 7(11): Mullenborn C., Steiner U., Ludwig M. and Oerke E. C. (2008). Effect of fungicides on the complex of Fusarium species and saprophytic fungi colonizing wheat kernels. Eur. J. Plant Pathol. 120(2): De Hoog., G S, Guarru J., Gene J. and Figueras M. J. (2000). Centraalbureau voor Schimmel cultures, Mycopathologia, Utrecht. The Netherlands. Atlas Clinical fungi Volume 2 Issue 2 (2013) ISSN: (Print); (Online) 2013 DAMA International. All rights reserved. 4

5 Canovas D., Duran C., Rodriguez N., Amils R and de Lorenzo V. (2003). Testing the limits of biological tolerance to arsenic in a fungus isolated from the River Tinto, Environ Microbiol. 5(2): Nikaeen M. and Mirhendi H. (2008). Inactivation of Aspergillus flavus Spores in Water by Ultraviolet Irradiation. Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Isfahan, World Applied Sci. J. 4(4): Schwab C. J. and Straus D. C. (2004). The roles of Penicillium & Aspergillus in sick buildings syndrome, Adv. Appl. Microbiol. 55: Dignani, M.C. and Anaissie E. (2004). Human fusariosis, Clinical Microbiol.Infection. 10(1): Green B. J., Mitakakis T. Z. and Tovey E. R. (2003). Allergen detection from 11 fungal species before and after germination. J. Allergy Clinical Immunol. (2) : Shaista Parveen S., Lanjewar K. and Sharma U. Kutti. (2011). Isolation of fungi from the surface water of river J. Experimental Sci. 2(10) : Volume 2 Issue 2 (2013) ISSN: (Print); (Online) 2013 DAMA International. All rights reserved. 5