Biological Activities and Metabolite Profiling of Polycarpa aurata (Tunicate, Ascidian) from Barrang Caddi, Spermonde Archipelago, Indonesia

Abstract

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has legalized several bioactive compounds from marine organisms, and two of them were isolated from tunicate (ascidians). However, the bioactive compounds from marine tunicate are less reported than other marine organisms. This study was conducted to screen biological activities and secondary metabolite of Indonesia’s marine tunicate Polycarpa aurata from Barrang Caddi, South Sulawesi. Sample was extracted using methanol for 24 h by maceration. The bioactive compounds were characterized using phytochemical tests and HPLC-DAD. Antibacterial activity was performed against multidrug-resistant (MDR) Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Bacillus cereus, Salmonella typhi, together with a non-MDR Escherichia coli, while antifungal against C. albicans and T. rubrum. Antioxidant activity was analyzed using DPPH method; and cytotoxicity against P388 murine leukemia cells using XTT method. The crude extract inhibited all pathogenic bacteria in its lowest concentration (0.5 mg) but did not show antifungal effect, toxicity at 0.08 mg/mL; antioxidant 534.60 ppm. The result of phytochemical test gave positive result for alkaloid and steroid/triterpenoid. In addition, HPLC chromatograms indicated 6 major peaks