Phytochemical and antibacterial screening of crude extract of sargassum tenerrimum j. agardh against potential human pathogens

The algal biomasses have potential to produce a variety of bioactive compounds against pathogenic microorganisms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the phytochemical analysis and antibacterial activity of brown algae Sargassum tenerrimum J. Agardh against fourteen gram positive and twenty two gram negative potential human pathogens. Qualitative phytochemical investigations indicated the extract of Sargassum tenerrimum contained alkaloids, steroids, glycosides, phenols and saponins. However, the antibacterial screening indicated that the extract was effective against three gram positive Micrococcus leulies ATCC 9341, Streptococcus fecalis and Streptococcus pyogenes and five gram negative Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Pseudomonas aeroginosa ATCC, Proteus vulgaris, Serratia marcesens and Acinetobacter baumanii bacteria. The range of zone of inhibition was 16mm to 19mm for gram positive (MIC 120-160 microgram/ml) and 15mm to 22mm for gram negative strains (MIC 150-220).