{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T09:24:19Z","timestamp":1787045059392,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787011200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"National University of Uzbekistan"},{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/011647w73","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100013843","name":"Agency for Innovative Development","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["AL-8724052956"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["AL-8724052956"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100013843","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Microorganisms"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Endophytic bacteria associated with medicinal plants represent a potential source of microorganisms with useful enzymatic and antagonistic properties. In this study, 14 bacterial isolates were recovered from the leaves, roots, flowers, and petioles of Inula helenium and screened for morphological, biochemical, and hydrolytic characteristics. Isolate IH-B3, which showed the most pronounced starch- and casein-hydrolysis zones during preliminary screening, was selected for further characterization. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry assigned the isolate to Bacillus subtilis with an identification score of 2.26, and the strain was designated B. subtilis UzMU25. Its 1444 bp 16S rRNA gene sequence was deposited in GenBank under accession number PZ593820. The strain was catalase- and lecithinase-positive but gelatinase- and hemolysis-negative, and it grew at pH 6.5 and in the presence of horse bile under the qualitative assay conditions used. Hydrolysis-zone diameters ranged from 46 to 52 mm for amylase, 34 to 42 mm for protease, and 10 to 16 mm for lipase activity. In direct antagonism assays, UzMU25 inhibited all six bacterial and fungal test organisms, producing inhibition zones of 26\u201336 mm. Biofilm biomass varied with incubation time and reached its highest corrected OD590 value at 12 h (0.780 \u00b1 0.025). Antibiotic-disc testing showed a 10 mm inhibition zone for vancomycin, indicating reduced susceptibility under the applied conditions and requiring further investigation of its genetic basis and potential transferability. No mortality was observed during the preliminary acute oral study following administration of the tested preparation at doses up to 10,000 mg kg\u22121, and no visible dermal or conjunctival irritation was detected. Overall, UzMU25 exhibited preliminary enzymatic, antagonistic, and biofilm-forming characteristics of biotechnological interest. However, whole-genome antimicrobial-resistance screening and more comprehensive phenotypic and toxicological evaluations are required before the strain can be recommended for probiotic or other practical applications.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms14081819","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T08:08:41Z","timestamp":1787040521000},"page":"1819","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Probiotic and Antimicrobial Potential of Endophytic B. subtilis UzMU25 Isolated from Inula helenium"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Luiza","family":"Tagayeva","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Ecology, National University of Uzbekistan, University Street 4, Tashkent 100174, Uzbekistan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kunduz","family":"Normurodova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Ecology, National University of Uzbekistan, University Street 4, Tashkent 100174, Uzbekistan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shermat","family":"Jabborov","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Scientific Research Institute of Livestock and Poultry, Tashkent, Kibray District, Qizil Shalola Village, Tashkent 111121, Uzbekistan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-5079-7150","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bobur","family":"Khasanov","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Scientific Research Institute of Livestock and Poultry, Tashkent, Kibray District, Qizil Shalola Village, Tashkent 111121, Uzbekistan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3098-0797","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jamoliddin","family":"Razzokov","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Fundamental and Applied Research, National Research University TIIAME, Tashkent 100000, Uzbekistan"},{"name":"Department of Natural Sciences, Karshi State Technical University, Mustaqillik Avenue Street 225, Karshi 180100, Uzbekistan"},{"name":"Department of Biotechnology, Tashkent State Technical University, Universitet 2, Tashkent 100095, Uzbekistan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"293","DOI":"10.1128\/MMBR.00050-14","article-title":"The hidden world within plants: Ecological and evolutionary considerations for defining functioning of microbial endophytes","volume":"79","author":"Hardoim","year":"2015","journal-title":"Microbiol. 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