Bioactivity of Marine Organisms. VI. Antiviral Evaluation of Marine Algal Extracts from the Indian Coast

Abstract

Ethanolic extracts of Indian marine algae belonging to the Rhodophyceae, Phaeophyceae and Chlorophyceae were tested for anti-semiliki Forest (SFV), Ranikhet Disease (RDV) and Vaccinia (VV) viruses. In the primary screening of 31 seaweeds, 17 appeared biologically active of which 7 were anti-SFV and 10 anti-Vaccinia. None of them showed any activity against RDV. The antiviral activity observed in Codium elongatum and the two species of Hypnea was attributed to the polysaccharides. The palmitoyl ester amide of dihydroxy sphingosine was found to be the antiviral principle of Ulva fasciata