Antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of brown algae from the Aegean Sea

The present study was conducted to evaluate the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of methanol, dichloromethane and hexane extracts, as well as the essential oils of brown algae (Phaeophyta) Colpomenia sinuosa, Dictyola dichotoma, Dictyoto dichotoma var. implexa, Petalonia fascia and Scytosiphon lomentaria, The essential oil of the macroalgae was obtained by steam distillation and analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The antioxidant activity of the algal extracts was determined using the procedures of inhibition of beta-carotene bleaching and ABTS' methods. The antioxidant effects of the extracts were compared with those of commercial antioxidants, such as butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), butylated hydroxyanisol (BHA) and alpha-tocopherol. The hexane extracts of D. dichofoma var. implexa had a higher phenolic content than the other extracts. The dichloromethane extract of S. lomentaria was found to be more active in the decolorization of ABTS(+) than the other extracts and generally the dichloromethane extracts were more active than the methanol and hexane extracts. Antimicrobial activities of the extracts were assessed against Gram (+) and Grain (-) bacteria and one yeast strain by the disk diffusion method. According to the results, the dichloromethane extracts generally showed more potent antimicrobial activity than the methanol and hexane extracts at concentrations 1.5 and 1.0 mg/disk.