Evaluation of microalgae and cyanobacteria as potential sources of antimicrobial compounds

sp. FN1, showed strong inhibitory activity preferentially against gram-positive bacteria. These microalgal species were then selected for further purification and analysis, leading to compound identification. By using a mixture of different chromatography techniques gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS), we were able to separate and identify the dominant compounds that are responsible for the inhibitory activity. Additionally, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was used to confirm the presence of these compounds. The dominant compounds that were identified and purified in the extracts are linoleic acid, oleic acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). These compounds are the potential candidates that inhibit the growth of gram-positive bacteria. This indicates the potential use of microalgae and their antimicrobial compounds as biocontrol agents against food and plant pathogens.