Iron limitation is a defining characteristic of marine environments, necessitating siderophore-mediated iron acquisition by microorganisms. The present study aimed to isolate, screen, and characterize siderophore-producing marine bacteria from coastal ecosystems of Maharashtra, India. Marine water and sediment samples were collected from multiple coastal and estuarine locations and processed using marine-specific enrichment and isolation methods. A total of 55 morphologically distinct bacterial isolates were obtained and screened for siderophore production using qualitative Chrome Azurol S (CAS) broth and agar assays, followed by quantitative estimation using the CAS shuttle assay. Twenty-two isolates (40.0%) exhibited rapid siderophore production in liquid CAS assays, while 13 isolates (23.6%) demonstrated siderophore activity on solid medium. Quantitative analysis revealed substantial inter-strain variability, with siderophore chelation efficiencies ranging from 4.6% to 64.3%. Isolates WS1 and GSW13 were identified as the most efficient producers. Siderophores extracted using ethyl acetate yielded 90–120 mg of secondary metabolites and retained iron-chelating activity following extraction. Molecular identification based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing identified WS1 as Pseudomonas lundensis and GSW13 as Advenella mimigardefordensis. These findings provide a foundational basis for further exploration of marine-derived siderophores in pharmaceutical research, particularly in iron-chelation systems and siderophore-enabled drug delivery strategies.
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How to cite this article: Inamdar KS, Nabar B, Screening And Evaluation Of Marine Bacteria For Siderophore Production From The Maharashtra Coast, India. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(4s): 958-962; DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.4s.112
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