Synergistic antimicrobial effect of sargassum serratifolium (C. Agardh) C. Agardh extract against human skin pathogens

Abstract

The object of this study was to develop an alternative way to treat human skin pathogens using marine algae. During this study, we observed that the ethanolic extract of the edible brown algae [Sargassum serratifolium (C. Agardh) C. Agardh] exhibited potential antimicrobial activity against pathogenic commensal bacteria related with acne vulgaris (Propionibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa), and Candida albicans which causes cutaneous candidiasis. Among the solvent-soluble fractions from the ethanolic extract, a hexane-soluble fraction showed the strongest antimicrobial activity against all tested human skin pathogens with MIC values ranging from 32 to 512 μg/mL. In addition, the hexane fraction exhibited a synergistic antimicrobial activity with commercial antibiotics used in the treatment of acne vulgaris or cutaneous candidiasis. Thus, this study suggests that S. serratifolium extract could be a potential source of natural antimicrobial agents or a pharmaceutical component against human skin pathogens.