Abstract

PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING OF A CORTICOLOUS CYANOBACTERIUM HASSALIA BYSSOIDEA HASS. EX BORN. ET FLAH. FOR ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY

Emamee Sahu, Dipanika Giri, Sukumar Bhakta, Sujogya Kumar Panda, Akshaya Kumar Bastia*

ABSTRACT

The present investigation focused on screening of antibacterial and antioxidant potential of phytochemicals extracted from a corticolous cyanobacterium Hassalia byssoidea isolated from Similipal Biosphere Reserve situated in the Mayurbhanj district of Odisha. Different phytochemicals were extracted with petroleum ether, chloroform, acetone, methanol and aqueous. Antimicrobial activity performed against pathogenic bacteria viz. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Shigella dysenteriae, Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, Bacillus licheniformis and B. brevis following agar cup diffusion method. Antioxidant activity of the solvent extracts was investigated in terms of total phenolic contents, total flavonoid contents, total antioxidant activity and DPPH (diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity. The results revealed the presence of flavonoids, terpenoids, sterols, glycosides, alkaloids, saponins and phenols in the extracts. All the solvent extracts have the potential to inhibit at least two of the pathogens except aqueous which fails to inhibit the test pathogens. The extract of petroleum ether showed maximum activity against P. aeruginosa followed by methanol against S. dysenteriae, chloroform against both the Bacillus sp. and acetone against B. licheniformis. E. coli and S. typhimurium were found resistant to all solvent extracts. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents of acetone extract were found higher than other extracts. However, the DPPH radical scavenging activity was found maximum in methanol extract and the highest antioxidant activity was observed in aqueous extract.

Keywords: Antibacterial, Antioxidant, Corticolous Cyanobacterium, Phytochemicals, Hassalia byssoidea.