Chemical Defense of Soft Coral Sinularia polydactyla from the Red Sea Against Marine Biofilm-Forming Bacteria

Soft corals are an important group of organisms that live in reef ecosystems. In this study, the chemical defense of soft coral Sinularia polydactyla against biofilm-forming bacteria was assessed. The soft coral S. polydactyla was collected from the Obhur creek of the Red Sea and the bioactive compounds were extracted under different conditions using methanol and hexane as solvents. Results revealed that the bioactive compounds produced by the soft coral S. polydactyla were active against the growth, hydrophobicity and extracellular polymeric substances production of the biofilm-forming bacteria. However, the damage or injury in soft coral tissue caused a decrease in the activity against biofilm-forming bacteria. GC-MS analysis revealed that sesquiterpenes were abundant in normal coral sample extract while cembranoids were abundant in damaged coral sample extracts. In general, the results indicated that the soft corals either under stress or with damage may not have a strong chemical defense against the colonizing marine organisms and competitors.