Bioactivities of surface extracts from eelgrass toward marine microbial epiphytes

We identified defense compounds that are present on the surface of Zostera marina and inhibit settlement of microfoulers at natural concentration. Moderately polar eelgrass surface extract prepared with propan-2-ol inhibited the settlement of seven marine bacteria that originated from nonliving substrata and of one yeast, while five other bacterial strains that had been directly isolated from eelgrass surfaces were all insensitive (see doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.877254).

In contrast, microbial growth was not inhibited by these extracts (see doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.877255 and doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.877379). Avter solvent evaporation propan-2-ol extract could be redissolved in methanol without activiy loss (see doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.877380). Of six fractions prepared from propan-2-ol crude extract by HPLC three inhibited certain microorganisms (see doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.877384).