Results of a large-scale screening programme to detect antibacterial activity from freshwater algae

Abstract

Cultures and organic solvent extracts of 100 cyanobacteria and 300 eucaryotic freshwater algae were screened for antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Activity was detected in samples from 36 eucaryotic, and five cyanobacterial cultures, most of them methanol extracts. In the preliminary screening, activity was only found against the Gram-positive bacteria and none against Escherichia coli. No one group of organisms appears to be particularly prolific producers of antibacterial compounds.