Antibacterial activity of Jania rubens from Gulf of Mannar, south coast of India

Abstract

Seaweeds are primarily explored for pharmaceutical and functional applications. This is due to the bioactive properties such as antimicrobial, antiviral, antitumor, anticancer and antilipidemic beneficial for such industries. Most of the countries surrounded by coastal regions have indicated a growth of research on seaweeds to utilize them in drug development. The present study was conducted to investigate the in vitro antibacterial activity of ethanol extract of Jania rubens against bacterial pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, Streptococcus pyogenes, Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis and Proteus vulgaris. It is a slender, rose pink, articulated, calcified fronds, in ordered bunches to 50 mm high. Epiphytic, only found growing epiphytically on older plants of the brown algae. The antibacterial activity was analysed by the agar disc diffusion method. The ethanol extract of J. rubens was separated based on activity directed fractionation to isolate the principle bioactive compound. The fraction was purified under Thin layer chromatography and characterized by Gas chromatography and Mass spectrometry. The mean zone of inhibition produced by the ethanol extract in disc diffusion assay against bacterial strains ranged from 9.0 to 26 mm. The highest mean zone of inhibition (26.00±0.56 mm) was observed against E. faecalis. The extract was further separated using Water, n-hexane and Ethanol. The fraction showed the antibacterial activity was characterized as 5-(Hydroxymethyl)-2-(1-methyl-2-2imidazolyl)-1H-benzimidazole predominantly by GC-MS.