Screening of antimicrobial activities in red, green and brown macroalgae from Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain)

Authors

  • Antonio González del Val Center for Basic Research— Natural Products Drug Discovery, Merck Research Laboratories, Merck Sharp & Dohme de España, Madrid, Spain
  • Gonzalo Platas Center for Basic Research— Natural Products Drug Discovery, Merck Research Laboratories, Merck Sharp & Dohme de España, Madrid, Spain
  • Angela Basilio Center for Basic Research— Natural Products Drug Discovery, Merck Research Laboratories, Merck Sharp & Dohme de España, Madrid, Spain
  • Angeles Cabello Center for Basic Research— Natural Products Drug Discovery, Merck Research Laboratories, Merck Sharp & Dohme de España, Madrid, Spain
  • Julian Gorrochategui Center for Basic Research— Natural Products Drug Discovery, Merck Research Laboratories, Merck Sharp & Dohme de España, Madrid, Spain
  • Inmaculada Suay Center for Basic Research— Natural Products Drug Discovery, Merck Research Laboratories, Merck Sharp & Dohme de España, Madrid, Spain
  • Francisca Vicente Center for Basic Research— Natural Products Drug Discovery, Merck Research Laboratories, Merck Sharp & Dohme de España, Madrid, Spain
  • Eduardo Portillo Center for Applied Biological Research, Canary Islands Technological Institute, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
  • Miguel Jiménez del Río Center for Applied Biological Research, Canary Islands Technological Institute, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
  • Guillermo García Reina Institute for Applied Algology, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria University, Telde, Las Palmas, Spain
  • Fernando Peláez Center for Basic Research— Natural Products Drug Discovery, Merck Research Laboratories, Merck Sharp & Dohme de España, Madrid, Spain

Keywords:

antibacterial compounds, antifungal compounds, bioactivity, antimicrobial screening, seaweeds

Abstract

Extracts from 44 species of seaweed from Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain) were screened for the production of antibacterial and antifungal compounds against a panel of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, mycobacteria, yeasts and fungi. A total of 28 species displayed antibacterial activity, of which six also showed antifungal activity. Asparagopsis taxiformis and Cymopolia barbata were the species with the strongest activities against the broadest spectrum of target microorganisms. All the species with antibacterial activity were active against Gram-positive bacteria, whereas only two species, A. taxiformis and Osmundea hybrida, were active against mycobacteria. The production of secondary metabolites with antimicrobial activities by the macroalgae was also studied under different conditions, although no common trend for bioactivity was observed.

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Published

2010-03-12

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Section

Research Articles