Cyanobacteria—a potential source of new biologically active substances

doi:10.1016/S0168-1656(99)00058-9

Journal of Biotechnology

Volume 70, Issues 1–3, 30 April 1999, Pages 61-63

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-1656(99)00058-9 Get rights and content

Abstract

Hydrophilic and lipophilic extracts of twelve cyanobacterial strains, isolated from fresh and brackish water, and two waterblooms, collected during the summer from the Baltic Sea, were investigated for their antibiotic activities against seven microorganisms. No inhibitory effects were found against the three Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis and Serratia marcescens and the yeast Candida maltosa. Of all cyanobacterial samples, extracts from seven species inhibited the growth of at least one of the Gram-positive bacteria Micrococcus flavus, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis. M. flavus proved to be the most sensitive bacterium in the agar diffusion test system. In particular, the hexane and dichlormethane extracts showed antimicrobial effects. But only one water extract, prepared from material of a natural waterbloom, was found to be active.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Professor Kohl, Institute of Ecology, Humboldt-University, Berlin; Professor Pohl, Institute of Pharmacy, University Kiel; Dr Fulda, Botanical Institute, University Rostock and Dr Hübel, Institute of Ecology, University Greifswald for supplying the cyanobacterial strains. The financial support by the government of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is gratefully acknowledged.

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Cyanobacteria—a potential source of new biologically active substances

Abstract

Section snippets

Acknowledgements

Curr. Opin. Biotech.

Microalgae as sources of pharmaceuticals and other biologically active compounds

J. Appl. Phycol.

Antimicrobial sensitivity and assay tests

Was steckt in Cyanobakterien?

Pharmazie in unserer Zeit.

Products of Secondary Metabolism