Antimicrobial Activity of Organic Solvent Extracts of Three Marine Macroalgae From Chilika Lake, Orissa, India

In vitro study of antibacterial activity of organic solvent extracts of three marine macroalgae viz., Chaetomorpha linum (Mell) Kuetzing, Enteromorpha compressa (L) Greville and Polysiphonia subtilissima Mont. showed specific activity in inhibiting the growth of three Gram-negative bacteria (Shigella flexneri, Vibrio cholerae and Escherichia coli) and two Gram positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus brevis). The results revealed that the chloroform and ethyl acetate extracts were active against most of the pathogens whereas methanol and ethanol extracts were active only against S. flexneri.