Abstract

SCREENING ANTIOXIDANT, ANTIBACTERIAL POTENTIAL OF FUCOIDAN EXTRACTED FROM SARGASSUM WIGHTII FOR DEVELOPMENT OF ORGANIC COMPOST FOR MULBERRY PLANT

Mallika Adhatrao* and Dr. Y. S. Thorat

ABSTRACT

The current invention pertains to organic compost containing fucoidan extracted from Sargassum wightii. This compound exhibits antioxidant, anthelmintic, antibacterial, and antifungal properties, along with potential as a plant growth enhancer, thereby improving overall plant health. Fucoidan is a type of polysaccharide rich in sulfate that has a variety of uses. A straightforward alcohol-water method was employed to extract fucoidan from the brown seaweed Sargassum wightii, yielding a crude fucoidan amounting to 5.5% of the seaweed's dry weight. Additionally, the L-fucose content measured 31.61 mg/g of the dried seaweed powder. To assess the antioxidant activity of the fucoidan-rich extract (FRE), three screening assays were conducted:DPPH scavenging activity, FRAP, and TPA. The antioxidant activity of FRE displayed a linear correlation represented by y = 9.01x + 19.18; R² = 0.97 for DPPH, y = 20.09x + 25.29; R² = 0.98 for FRAP, and y = 13.46x - 11.61; R² = 0.99 for TPA. Antibacterial activity was evaluated through Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) and Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), revealing that FRE inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus at an MIC of 62.5, indicating its antibacterial efficacy alongside substantial antioxidant activity. Notably, there has been no research or development in India focusing on the beneficial use of fucoidan in organic compost to date. In sericulture, the mulberry plant serves as nourishment for Bombyx mori, which is essential in silk production. Research has shown that applying fucoidan as organic compost to the mulberry plant enhances its morphological characteristics, resulting in larger leaf surfaces and improved physical dimensions compared to control plants.

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