The Antibacterial Activity of Some Marine Algae from South East Coast of India

In vitro the antibacterial activity of the Acetone, Methanol and Ethanol extracts of three marine algae from Ennore beach near Chennai (coast of Tamil Nadu) were tested. The test organism includes Gram negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Gram positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus. In this study, agar well diffusion test technique was followed. The marine algae which were tested for antibacterial activity belongs to green algae. Among all the marine algae Ulva fasciata, Enteromorpha intestinalis and Chaetomorpha aerea were collected and tested in vitro Ulva fasciata and Chaetomorpha aerea have exhibited average result. Escherichia coli in all the solvents have shown significant results for the seaweed Ulva fasciata in selective media. The zone of inhibition was compared with the zone of inhibition produced by the standard antibiotic discs in the Antibiotic Disc Diffusion. Test. The result exhibited when antibacterial activity of the algal extracts was done on selective media for confirmation test was compared with the MHA plates. Thus the organic (80% Ethanolic, Methanolic and Acetone) extract of green algae has ability to inhibit the growth of the Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. The coast of Tamil Nadu is vastly endowed with many algae possessing antibacterial compounds in them.