Marine Sponges Research Paper

2.3. Biological activity of marine sponges

2.3.1. Anti-inflammatory compounds from sponges

The compounds isolated from marine sponges have shown to arrest the microbial infection, physical damage in the human body. Manoalide used as an antibiotic is the first sesterterpenoid isolated form marine sponge Luffariella variabilis (Bennet, CF et al., 1987). Few varieties of sponges containing terpenoid compounds have been found to inhibit lipoxygenase, which is an enzyme involved in inflammatory action. The sponge compounds are inhibitors of enzymes responsible for diseases like psoriasis and arthritis, where the compounds act towards specific enzymes without accelerating the diseased condition (Detmer Sipkema et al., 2005). The marine sponge Geodia

Antibacterial activity of marine sponges

The sponge Aurora globostellata was found to have antibacterial activity against Vibrio cholarae, Klebsiella pnemoniae, Salmonella typhi, Candida albicans, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the biological activity has been tested with the crude extract and the inhibition zone observed with the crude extract were (12.66±0.66 mm) for Candida albicans, (14.00±0.57) for Salmonella typhi (K.Chairman et al., 2012).

The strains of different fouling bacteria namely, Pseudomonas chlororaphis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis, Pseudomonas putida , Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus cereus were tested against different marine sponges for antibacterial activity with the crude extract. The sponge Oceanapia fistulosa and Fasciospongia cavernosa showed high inhibition zone against the strains, whereas the sponge Aurora globostellata was found to be with low activity when compared with other sponge types (Limna Mol VP et al., 2010). The sponge Callyspongia subarmegera found in the south coast of India taxonomically identified using spicules arrangement and taxonomic keys by Dr.P.A.Thomas and the partial DNA sequence of the sponge has been submitted to GenBank. The sponge has been extracted with methanol and tested for antibacterial activity against fish pathogens, and the extract was found to inhibit bacterial growth (Aishwarya MS et al.,

The extract from the sponges were tested for its anti microbial and hemolytic activity. Aquadest and methanol were used as solvents, where aqueous extract had a higher yield than methanolic extract. Antimicrobial activity was conducted using disc diffusion method, with nutrient agar against different microbes and the extracts were found to have high inhibitory activity on all the tested microbes. The tests for haemolytic activity using Fresh blood from Deutsch Democratic Yokohama (ddY) mice were done, but the results found to have haemagglutination instead of haemolytic activity.

2.3.4. Antifungal activity of marine sponges

The antifungal activity of sponge Aurora globostellata collected from Gulf of Mannar was tested against Candida albicans, Fusarium species and Aspergillus niger with the crude ethyl acetate extract. It has been reported due to the presence of steroids, alkaloids, flavanoids, and aromatic acids and reducing sugars the sponge extract is said to have antifungal property (K. Chairman et al.,