Antimicrobial activities of the lichen <i style="">Roccella belangeriana </i>(Awasthi) from mangroves of Gulf of Mannar

Abstract

The present study, attempted to test antimicrobial activity of the mangrove lichen <i style="">Roccella belangeriana</i> collected from the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve area. The lichen was<i style=""> </i>extracted in different solvents: acetone, methanol, diethylether, ethanol, ethyl acetate, petroleum ether, chloroform and water and tested against 14 bacterial strains and 3 fungal strains by well diffusion assay. Regarding antibacterial activity the maximum zone of inhibition was recorded in methanol extracts against <i style="">Vibrio cholerae</i> and the minimum zone of inhibition was in ethyl acetate extract against <i style="">Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterococci </i>sp.,<i style=""> Salmonella </i>sp. and <i style="">Shewanella </i>sp<i style="">.</i> Regarding the antifungal activity, the maximum zone of inhibition was recorded against <i style="">Aspergillus niger</i>, and the minimum was noted against <i style="">Rhizophus</i> sp.