Antifouling potential of seaweed, sponge and cashew nut oil extracts against biofilm bacteria and green mussel Perna viridis from Vellar estuary, Southeast coast of India

Abstract

Two species of common seaweeds and a single species of sponge were collected from Tuticorin coast and screened for antifouling activity. The seaweeds, Sargassum wightii, Ulva lactuca; sponge Desmopsongiae sp., and cashew nut oil extracts were tested in vitro against ten marine fouling bacteria isolated from test panels and the green mussel Perna viridis. The biofilm bacteria growth was inhibited by methanol extracts of the seaweeds S. wightii, U. lactuca, sponge Desmospongae sp., and the tropical cashew nut oil extracts. The bacterial growth was strongly inhibited by using extract concentrations as low as 30 mu g mL-1 with S. wightii, U. lactuca, Desmospongiae sp., and cashew nut oil. The byssus thread formation of the mussel was completely inhibited by methanol extracts of S. wightii, U. lactuca and cashew nut oil extracts at concentrations of 100 mu g ml-1. These extracts showed strong antifouling activities on green mussel attachment with 100 mu g ml-1 concentration. In this present study, there are exhibited preliminary evaluation of novel antifouling agents from marine macroalgae and tropical cashew nut oil.