title: Antimicrobial Action of Compounds from Marine Seaweed.
abstract: Seaweed produces metabolites aiding in the protection against different environmental stresses. These compounds show antiviral, antiprotozoal, antifungal, and antibacterial properties. Macroalgae can be cultured in high volumes and would represent an attractive source of potential compounds useful for unconventional drugs able to control new diseases or multiresistant strains of pathogenic microorganisms. The substances isolated from green, brown and red algae showing potent antimicrobial activity belong to polysaccharides, fatty acids, phlorotannins, pigments, lectins, alkaloids, terpenoids and halogenated compounds. This review presents the major compounds found in macroalga showing antimicrobial activities and their most promising applications.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología Funcional y Ciencias de la Salud, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidade de Vigo, As Lagoas, Ourense 32004, Spain. mjperez@uvigo.es.
authors.forename: María José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Pérez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Analítica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidade de Vigo, As Lagoas, Ourense 32004, Spain. efalque@uvigo.es.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Falqué
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enxeñería Química, Facultad de Ciencias. Universidade de Vigo, As Lagoas, Ourense 32004, Spain. herminia@uvigo.es.
authors.forename: Herminia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Domínguez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000460:Chlorophyta / Q000378:metabolism; D055808:Drug Discovery / Q000379:methods*; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple; D006801:Humans; D000459:Phaeophyceae / Q000378:metabolism; D000461:Rhodophyta / Q000378:metabolism; D012624:Seaweed / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents
keywords: antimicrobial; extraction techniques; in vitro and in vivo assays; seaweed