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PHYCOCHEMISTRY AND BIOACTIVITY OF CERTAIN FRESHWATER GREEN ALGAE OF SINDH

B. GHAZALA, MUSTAFA SHAMEEL , M. IQBAL CHOUDHARY¹, SALEEM SHAHZAD AND SULTAN MAHMOOD LEGHARI²

Abstract: Methanol extracts of five species of freshwater green algae, Chara cotraria A. Braun ex Kützing, Chlorococcum humicolum (Nägeli) Rabenhorst, Hydrodictyon indicum lyengar, Rhizoclonium hieroglyphicum (C. A. Agardh) Kützing and Zygnema stellinum (Vaucher) C. A. Agardh, collected during September and December 1995 from water channels at Bhitshah, Tandoadam, Hyderabad, and Jamshoro in the province of Sindh (Pakistan), were phycochemically studied by GC-MS & NMR spectroscopy and investigated against seven different tests of bioactivity. Thirty-three different fatty acids ranging from C10 to C29 were detected, 13 being saturated and 20 unsaturated ones. Among them 13 were monounsaturated, 4 diunsaturated and 3 triunsaturated acids, polyunsaturated acids could not be detected. Palmitic acid was found to occur in highest amount (on the average 9.5 %), but oleic acid was present in the small proportion (0.79 - 5.83 %). A sterol (ß-sitosterol) and an acyclic diterpenoid (trans-phytol) have also been isolated and chemically elucidated. Strong bioactivities were observed regarding bactericidal and antifungal activities by all the investigated species, H. indicum and Z. stellinum exthibited positive activity against six different tests of bioactivity, C. contraria appeared to be the least active.

Department of Botany, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270
HEJ Research institute of Chemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270
Deprtment of Freshwater Biology & Fisheries, University of Sindh, Jamshoro-76080