The chemical ecology and antibacterial activity of the brown alga Halidrys siliquosa and other Scottish seaweeds

In regard to the more and more restrictive legislations on the use of organotins in antifouling coatings the need for the development of 'environmentally friendly' antifouling formulations becomes urgent. This study was initiated by the screening of the antifouling activity of Scottish algae against marine fouling bacteria aI;ld was followed by an examination ofthe chemical ecology ofthe brown alga Halidrys siliquosa. Of eleven algal species tested, eight exhibited good antifouling activity, confirming marine algae as a potential source for the development ofnovel antifouling formulations. H. siliquosa crude extracts tested at concentrations equivalent to whole algal tissue inhibited bacterial growth, with bacteria isolated from the surface orH. siliquosa being less sensitive to the extracts compared to bacteria isolated from stones and open seawater. This suggested for the first time that bacteria associated with the surface of the seaweed had evolved some kind of resistance to the plant antimicrobial activity. Characterisation of the active components using NMR spectroscopy showed the activity to be largely associated with the presence of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Examination of purified fractions using GCIMS allowed identification and quantification of PUFAs 18:2, 18:4, 20:4 and 20:5. A separate study, determining minimum inhibitory concentrations of 18:2 and 20:4 against marine fouling bacteria indicated that both acids were present in sufficient concentrations in the plant to inhibit bacterial growth. The presence of PUPAs on the surface of the seaweed could not be demonstrated using a surface dip technique; however, this technique was originally developed for the extraction of non-polar metabolites only. This study suggests that PUFAs produced by H. siliquosa are potentially able to regulate biofouling by means of disrupting the early stage of biofilm development, i.e. bacterial colonisation. However, to confirm this hypothesis, the presence of PUFAs on the surface of the plant' still needs to be demonstrated.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo