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Alkaloids Rich Extracts from Brown Algae Against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria by Distinctive Mode of Action

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Abstract

Algal alkaloids are widely used for their pharmacological properties as antimicrobial agents. This study determined the antibacterial activities of algal alkaloid-rich extracts against isolates of multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157, as well as the probable mode of action underlying their antibacterial effect. The total alkaloids were extracted from two Libyan brown algae, namely Sargassum hornschuchii and Cystoseira compressa and tested against six different isolates from the bacteria mentioned above using the agar-well diffusion method, and their mode of action on isolates was evaluated by several bacterial physiological indicators, including intracellular potassium ion efflux and nucleotide leakage. Also, the extracts' hemolytic activity was assessed as an indicator of their cytotoxicity on red blood cells. Although not to the same extent, both alkaloid extracts presented antibacterial activities against all tested isolates with no evidence of bacterial regrowth. The alkaloid extract from S. hornschuchii exerted the best effect on bacteria growth with minimum inhibitory concentration values ranging between 125 and 500 mg/mL. The results showed that the alkaloid extracts significantly induced a distinct release of nucleotide and potassium ions out of the cell membrane, indicating that they cause a change in the fluidity or permeability or both of the cell membrane. Moreover, the results revealed that there were very low cytotoxic effects. Therefore, algal alkaloids may contribute to the development of potential antibacterial agents in the future.

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Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or non-profit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biochemistry Division, Chemistry Department, Faculty of Sciences, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, 50676, Libya

    Rabia Alghazeer

  2. Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya

    Salah Azwai

  3. Department of Food Hygiene and Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya

    Aboubaker M. Garbaj

  4. Department of Chemistry, The Libyan Academy, Tripoli, Libya

    Amr Amr

  5. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya

    Sana Elghmasi

  6. Biotechnology Lab, Marin Biology Research Center, Tajura-East of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya

    Maammar Sidati

  7. Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, Diponegoro University, Semarang, Indonesia

    Ervia Yudiati

  8. General of Advanced Laboratory of Chemical Analysis, Libyan Authority to Search Science and Technology, Tripoli, Libya

    Mahasn G. Kubbat

  9. Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Taibah University, Medina, 30002, Saudi Arabia

    Areej A. Eskandrani

  10. Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11362, Saudi Arabia

    Ghalia Shamlan

  11. Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, 21577, Saudi Arabia

    Wafa S. Alansari

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  1. Rabia Alghazeer
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  2. Salah Azwai
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  3. Aboubaker M. Garbaj
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Contributions

RA conceived, designed, and organized the study. SA, AMG, AA, SE, MS, EY, and MGK contributed to the conduct of the study. SA, AMG, AA, SE, AAE, GS, and WSA performed the experiments, RA, AAE, GS, and WSA analyzed the data. RA, SA, AMG, AA, SE, MS, EY, and MGK drafted the manuscript and critiqued the output for intellectual content. All authors discussed the results and commented on the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Rabia Alghazeer.

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Alghazeer, R., Azwai, S., Garbaj, A.M. et al. Alkaloids Rich Extracts from Brown Algae Against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria by Distinctive Mode of Action. Arab J Sci Eng 47, 179–188 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-021-05592-w

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