title: Antimicrobial potential of selected brown seaweeds from Vedalai coastal waters, Gulf of Mannar.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the antimicrobial activity of Turbinaria conoides (T. conoides), Padina gymnospora (P. gymnospora) and Sargassum tenerrimum against human bacterial and fungal pathogens.
  
  
  METHODS
  The antimicrobial activities of the extracts against various organisms were tested by using disc diffusion method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The methanol extract showed the better result than the other extracts. Whereas, the strong antibacterial inhibition was noted in methanol extracts of P. gymnospora against Bacillus subtilus (26.33±1.86) and the mild inhibition of ethanol extracts from T. conoides against Klebsiella pneumoniae (2.33±0.51). Acetone extraction of P. gymnospora had strong antifungal inhibition against Cryptococcus neoformans (23.00±1.78), and acetone extract of T. conoides had mild inhibition against Aspergillus niger (3.00±0.89).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The seven different solvent extracts of seaweeds used in the present study have shown significant bacterial action. Further, a detailed study on the principle compound in the seaweeds which is responsible for antimicrobial activity is still needed and it can be achieved by using advanced separation techniques.
authors.affiliation: Centre of Advanced Study in Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences, Annamalai University, Parangipettai, Tamilnadu, India.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Manivannan
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Karthikai Devi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Anantharaman
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Balasubramanian
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009181:Mycoses / Q000382:microbiology; D000459:Phaeophyceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012624:Seaweed / Q000737:chemistry*; D014675:Vegetables / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: Antimicrobial activity; Gulf of Mannar; Padina gymnospora; Sargassum tenerrimum; Seaweed; Turbinaria conoides