Antimycobacterial Activity from Cyanobacterial Extracts and Phytochemical Screening of Methanol Extract of Hapalosiphon.

ABSTRACT

The recent increase in the number of multidrug-resistant clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis. has created an urgent need for the discovery and development of new antituberculosis leads. Natural products form one avenue in the search for new antitubercular agents. Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) are a diverse group of photosynthetic, prokaryotic microorganisms found in fresh and marine waters. They produce a diversity of secondary metabolites having potential activity as antimicrobials, antivirals, and as other pharmacologically active compounds. In the current study, organic extracts of 10 cyanobacterial strains collected from the fields of an agricultural research institute in India were investigated for their antimycobacterial properties by an agar diffusion bioassay followed by minimum inhibitory concentration determination. Preliminary phytochemical screening methodologies were performed to identify active component of an extract from Hapalosiphon. sp. This study may be the first documentation of the activity of these species against mycobacteria.

Keywords:

• Antimycobacterial
• cyanobacteria
• Hapalosiphon. sp