Assessment of Phytochemicals, Antioxidant and in vitro Antimicrobial Activity of Gloeothece rupestris (Chroococcales, Cyanophyceae)

Cyanophyceae (blue-green algae) is a group of prokaryotic microorganisms. The antioxidative phytochemical constituents present in them have received attention for their role in the prevention of human diseases. This study mainly concentrates on the presence of phytochemical constituents in the methanolic extract of Gloeothece rupestris and the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of the extracted constituents. The qualitative phytochemical analysis showed the presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, flavonoids, glycosides, fixed oils and fats, and phytosterols. The methanol extract was used at different concentrations to estimate the antioxidant potential by 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity. The in vitro antimicrobial activity was evaluated against various human pathogenic bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and some fungal pathogens, such as Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, and Candida albicans. The extract showed much more effective antibacterial activity as compared with the antifungal activity. The study concluded that Gloeothece rupestris (Lyngbye) Bornet possesses unique bioactive compounds, potential antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, which can be exploited for industrial applications.