Research of the antifungal activity of the extracts of certain species of Marco-algae from the Atlantic coast of Morocco

Abstract

Currently, marine organisms are of paramount importance source of new bioactive molecules. This study was carried out with an objective to investigate the antifungal activity of seaweed extract from 5 marine algae species, Cystoseira spp., Fucus spiralis, Bifurcaria bifurcata , Ulva rigida and Corallina elongata . Extraction, by soxhlet, was carried out using methanol, ethanol, ethyl acetate, dichloromethane or hexane. The extracts obtained were tested against three fungal species: Botrytis cinerea, Altenaria alternata and Rhizoctonia solani . Evaluation of this antifungal activity was performed by using the disk diffusion method, followed by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and its effect on spore germination. This study revealed that methanol and ethanol gave the highest yield extraction with 14.31% and 13.9% percentages in Fucus spiralis and Cystoseira spp. respectively. With regards to the antifungal activity, the hexane extract is the most active on B. cinerea with a zone of inhibition of 24.3 mm and a spore germination which did not exceed 10%. This effect is observed at a MIC of 250µg/ml. However, inhibition of 70-80% spores and a most inhibition of mycelial growth of the species tested were observed for the methanolic and ethyl acetate extracts in the case of Pheophyceae species. We have concluded that the methanolic and ethyl acetate extracts of certain species Cystos eira spp., Fucus spiralis and Bifurcaria bifurcata do represent a considerably important antifungal activity.