Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
2
Antimicrobial Compounds
Antimicrobial agents produced from freshwater plants are broadly categorized into
antibacterial, antifungal, and antimycobacterial agents. Such compounds include
phenolics, terpenoids, alkaloids, lectins, polypeptides, and polyacetylenes. Potential
antituberculous agents isolated from plants include berberine, lichoisolavone, erygi-
bisolavone, phaseollidin, erythrabyssin II, and triptanthrin.
PITHOPHORA OEDOGONIA
(MONTAGNE) WITTROCK, 1877
Phylum: Chlorophyta Class: Chlorophyceae
Order: Cladophorales Family: Cladophoraceae
Distribution: Tropical and temperate regions of the world; Europe, Asia,
Australia, New Zealand
Habitat: Freshwater lakes and ponds, marine habitats
Description: This species has branched, free-loating solitary or paired ilaments
that form mats. The thallus has large terminal and intercalary akinetes. The
cells of the ilaments are cylindrical and longer at the ends of the branches.
The asexual reproduction of this species is by fragmentation and akinetes.
Compounds and activities: The methanol extracts of the dried material of this
species possess phenol, saponin, tannin, amino acid, steroid, and lavonoid,
which have antibacterial activities toward Gram-positive bacteria, viz.,
Bacillus subtilis
and
Staphylococcus aureus
,
and Gram- negative bacteria,
viz.,
Escherichia coli
and
Salmonella typhimurium
. The growth inhibiton
zone diameters (mm) in these bacterial species were found to be 18.1 ±
0.44, 17.1 ± 0.54, 15.80 ± 0.53, and 12.64 ± 0.42, respectively (Singh and
Chaudhary, 2010).
SPIROGYRA DECIMINA
(O.F. MULLER) DEMORTIER, 1822
Phylum: Chlorophyta Class: Chlorophyceae
Order: Zygnematales Family: Zygnemataceae
Distribution: Europe, America, Asia, Australia, New Zealand
Habitat: Freshwater habitats
Description: This unbranched ilamentous species is several centimeters long
and 100 µm wide. The chloroplasts, which are ribbon shaped, scalloped, or
serrated, are helically arranged in the ilaments. The cells are connected
end to end.
Compounds and activities: The bioactive compounds isolated from this species
are unsaturated fatty acids, organic acids, and phenolic compounds. The
methanol extract of this species at a concentration of 0.20 mg/ml showed
3
