Antioxidant and Antifungal activities of Padina Pavonica and Sargassum Vulgare from the Lebanese Mediterranean Coast

Abstract

The aim of our investigation was to evaluate the antioxidant, the antifungal activities and the phenolic content of extracts from two brown algae Padina Pavonica and Sargassum Vulgare from the Lebanese coast. Two different extraction methods with methanol, followed by fractionation (petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, butanol and aqueous) were carried out. Antioxidant activities were evaluated using the DPPH method. The method of disk diffusion was used to evaluate the antifungal activity of seaweed extracts against Candida. The total phenolic content was determined with the Folin–Ciocalteu method. The ethyl acetate fraction of the algae Padina Pavonica showed a significant antifungal activity against Candida glabrata (diameter of inhibition = 16 mm) and Candida krusei (diameter of inhibition = 14 mm). The ethyl acetate fraction of the algae Padina Pavonica showed the highest antioxidant activity (42.5%); those activities may be due to phenolic compounds present in significant amounts in this fraction (8.98 GAE/g). Also, on the other hand, the petroleum ether fraction of the algae Sargassum Vulgare had the highest antioxidant activity (40.6%), which seems to be due to lipids because the phenolic content in this fraction is lower (6.10 GAE/g). No antifungal activity was detected with all extract of Sargassum Vulgare.