Pyrosequencing reveals sponge specific bacterial communities in marine sponges of Red Sea,Saudi Arabia

Bacterial communities of marine sponges are believed to be an important partner for host survival but remain poorly studied. Sponges show difference in richness and abundance of microbial population inhabiting them. Three marine sponges belonging to the species of Pione vastifica, Siphonochalina siphonella and Suberea mollis were collected from Red sea in Jeddah and were investigated using high throughput sequencing. Highly diverse communities containing 105 OTUs were identified in S. mollis host. Only 61 and 43 OTUs were found in P. vastifica and S. siphonella respectively. We identified 10 different bacterial phyla and 31 genera using 27,356 sequences. Most of the OTUs belong to phylum Proteobacteria (29%–99%) comprising of Gammaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, and Deltaproteobacteria where later two were only detected in HMA sponge, S. mollis. A number of 16S rRNA sequences (25%) were not identified to phylum level and may be novel taxa. Richness of bacterial community and Shannon, Simpson diversity revealed that sponge S. mollis harbors high diversity compared to other two LMA sponges. Dominance of Proteobacteria in sponges may indicate an ecological significance of this phylum in the Red sea sponges. These differences in bacterial composition may be due to difference in location site or host responses to environmental conditions. To the best of our knowledge, the microbial communities of these sponges have never been studied before and this is first attempt to unravel bacterial diversity using PCR-based 454-pyrosequencing method.     

Effects of culinary treatments on the physicochemical properties of Ulva lactuca collected from Tabuk coast of Red sea in Saudi Arabia

The increasing demand for healthy, natural, and sustainable food led scientists to take advantage of marine resources and promote interest in culinary and the use of algae that give a variety of colours, textures and flavours from the seaweed. However, few studies have been done on the effect of culinary treatments. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to evaluate the effect of the most popular culinary treatments (boiled, steamed and sous vide) on the physicochemical properties of Ulva lactuca. The treatments were applied at temperatures of 100 °C in the case of both boiling and steaming whereas 50 and 75 °C on sous vide culinary. Results illustrated that both the chemical composition and physical properties of Ulva lactuca greatly affected depending on the culinary method and time. The culinary processes produce an increase in water activity (0.962–0.989) with respect to the raw algae (0.952). All the applied culinary treatments showed an increase in the content of pH, chlorophylls and carotenoids compared to the raw algae, and the highest rise was after boiling for 5 min, although this effect decreases slightly at longer times of boiling. The same about ash, protein, fat, minerals (K, Ca, and Mg), and poly unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) boiling is a culinary method that greatly influences and on the contrary, sous vide culinary is a technique that respects and can even improve the nutritional value of raw algae.     

Chemical composition and antioxidant activities of Jeddah corniche algae,Saudi Arabia

The increased use of natural product in the pharmaceutical industry has led to an increase in demand for screening for bioactive compounds in marine algae. An important economic algae, through chemical composition analysis and their antioxidant activities were investigated in this study. Chemical composition analysis of three algal samples from the Chlorophyta Ulva lactuca (U), Phaeophyta Sargassum crassifolia (S) and Rhodophyta Digenea simplex (D) was tested. Main components were sugars (57.40–185.13 mg/g dry weight), uronic acids (29.3–45.26 mg/g dry weight), sulfate (94.7–181.2 mg/g dry weight), amino acids (7.6–16.7 mg/g dry weight) and small amounts of betaines (2.38–8.47 mg/g dry weight). Hydrolyzed chemical composition analysis fractions of algal extract was shown a great proportion of sugars plus sulfate (as polysaccharide composed) ranges between 332 and 538.2 mg/g dry weight with trace amounts of uronic acids (⩽9%). All three algal extract showed antioxidant activities on lipoxygenase, DPPH and on Ames test. Two of aqueous extracts (U and D) inhibited lipoxygenase activity by less than 50%, where as the methanolic extract (S) caused 76% inhibition of the control. In all cases, the methanolic extract were more inhibitory than the aqueous extract. The (S) showed the highest antioxidant activity with DPPH (69%) in aqueous extract and in methanol extract with Ames test (85%). Both U and D showed antioxidant activity with DPPH in hexane by less of 25% where as in both aqueous and methanolic extracts by less than 50% of the control. Aqueous and methanolic extracts of U and D showed high inhibition by Ames test which caused 70% and 75% respectively. IR spectra of algal extracts (U; D and S) range from 1450 to 750 cm⁻¹ were very similar absorption band at 1430, 1370, 1250, 1130, 1110, 1050 and 1020 cm⁻¹. Absorption bands were due to uronic acids, glucosides and sulfate. The presence of sulfated polysaccharide material in the fractions UF2, DF2 and SF2 were found as cell wall storage of marine algae, confirmed by ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. It is concluded that the algal species probably have a different components and can be used in the activities of antioxidant enzymes as reduced the risks of enzymes. But the correlation between the chemical composition and antioxidant activities of algal extracts needs further investigation.Abbreviations: (U), Ulva lactuca; (S), Sargassum crassifolia; (D), Digenea simplex; DPPH, α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl; HPLC, high performance liquid chromatographic     

Antibiotic activity of lectins from marine algae against marine vibrios

Saline and aqueous ethanol extracts of marine algae and the lectins from two red algal species were assayed for their antibiotic activity against marine vibrios. Experimental studies were also carried out on the influence of environmental factors on such activity, using batch cultures. The results indicated that many of the saline extracts of the algal species were active and that the activity was selective against those vibrios assayed. The algal extracts were active against Vibrio pelagius and the fish pathogen V. vulnificus, but inactive against V. neresis. Algal lectins from Eucheuma serra (ESA) and Galaxaura marginata (GMA) strongly inhibited V. vulnificus but were inactive against the other two vibrios. The antibacterial activity of algal extracts was inhibited by pretreatment with various sugars and glycoprotein. Extracts of the two red algae, E. serra and Pterocladia capillacea, in saline and aqueous ethanol, inhibited markedly the growth rate of V. vulnificus at very low concentrations. Culture results indicated that metabolites active against V. vulnificus were invariably produced in P. capillacea over a wide range of temperature, light intensity, and nutritional conditions. Enhanced antibacterial activity occurred when P. capillacea was grown under higher irradiance, severe nutrient stress and moderate temperature (20 °C), reflecting the specific antibiotic characteristics of this alga. The strong antibiotic activity of lectins towards fish pathogenic bacteria reveals one of the important roles played by algal lectins, as well as the potential high economic value of those marine algae assayed for aquaculture and for biomedical purposes.     

Molecular profiling of marine endophytic fungi from green algae: Assessment of antibacterial and anticancer activities

Bioactive natural metabolites, especially from the marine endophytic fungi, are largely unexplored. Endophytic fungi are being increasingly recognized as a group of organisms that produce novel metabolites of industrial importance. This study investigated the anticancer and antibacterial potential of the marine algal endophyte, Penicillium chrysogenum. The different organic solvent extracts of the endophytic fungi grown on different growth medium were analyzed for anticancer and antibacterial activities. The highest inhibitory activity was observed for the ethyl acetate (EA) extract of the culture filtrate grown in potato dextrose broth (PDB) for 21 days, against the tested human breast cancer cell (MCF-7) line. Similarly, the PDB-EA extract showed an appreciable activity against the human pathogens. The biochemical analysis of the Cha EA metabolites revealed terpenoids, steroids, phenolics and flavones. Gas Chromatography (GCMS) data revealed several bioactive compounds such as anthraquinone and cinnamic acid. The Cha EA extract induced membrane damage and thus, apoptosis in MCF-7cells. The secondary metabolites produced by these marine endophytic fungi have contributed to considerable anticancer and antimicrobial activities and hence, this study is an evidence of potential sources of antimicrobial and anticancer compounds from Penicillium chrysogenum.     

Impact of human activity on marine habitats along the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia

Transgression on marine habitats (seagrass beds, coral reefs and mangrove stands) along the Jeddah coast and adjacent lagoons, owing to increased human activity, resulted in regression, degeneration or substitution of plant and animal communities.The effect of organic and thermal pollution on benthic life is examined. A need for baseline studies on such habitats is stressed for the identification and conservation of endangered biota.     

Taphonomic signatures on modern molluscs and corals from Red Sea coast,southern Saudi Arabia

Bioeroded gastropod, bivalve and coral specimens (n = 570) were collected from the Jazan area, Saudi Red Sea coast, from which 22 ichnospecies of 8 ichnogenera were identified and illustrated. These traces were produced by clionid sponges (Entobia geometrica, E. ovula, E. cf. goniodes, E. cretacea, E. laquea, E. cf. paradoxa and E. isp.), duraphagous drillers (Oichnus ovalis, O. paraboloides, O. simplex and O. isp.), endolithic bivalves (Gastrochaenolites cf. dijugus, G. lapidicus, G. torpedo and G. isp.), polychaete annelids (Caulostrepsis taeniola, C. isp., Maeandropolydora sulcans, M. isp. and ?Trypanites isp.), acorn barnacles (Rogerella isp.), and vermetid gastropods (Renichnus isp.). The seashells act as hard substrate for colonization by serpulid worm, bivalves, bryozoans, and barnacles. Ichnogenus Entobia was most abundant (56.1%), followed by Gastrochaenolites (25.4%), Caulostrepsis (5.3%), Trypanites (4.2%), Maeandropolydora (3.2%), Oichnus (2.8%), Renichnus (1.9%), and Rogerella (1.0%). Oichnus occurred on the thin-shelled and smooth molluscs, while most Gastrochaenolites borings were found in the larger and thicker seashells as a suitable substrate for the settlement of polychaetes, lithophages, naticids, mytilids, and vermetids. Presence of annelid traces among radial ribs and at the siphonal areas of bivalves is indicative of nutrient capturing from water flow during the lifetime of these bivalves, within a shallow, high energy marine environment, where disarticulation, fragmentation, and abrasion of the seashells were abundantly observed.     

Exploring the taxonomic and functional diversity of marine benthic micro-Eukaryotes along the Red Sea coast of Jeddah city

BackgroundsDiverse marine habitats along Jeddah's Red Sea coast support rich biodiversity. Few studies have been done on its diverse communities, especially its microbial counterparts. Metagenomic analysis of marine benthic micro-eukaryotic communities was performed for the first time on the Red Sea coast of Jeddah. This research looks into their community structure and metabolic potential.MethodsNext-generation sequencing was used to examine the micro-eukaryotic communities of seven sedimentary soil samples from four Jeddah coast locations. After isolating DNA from seven benthic sedimentary soil samples, the 18S rDNA V4 regions were amplified and sequenced on the Illumina MiSeq. It was also verified using an Agilent Technologies 2100 Bioanalyzer with a DNA 1000 chip (Agilent Technologies, Fisher Scientific). A standard curve of fluorescence readings generated by qPCR quantification using the Illumina library was achieved using the GS FLX library. Metagenomic data analysis was used to evaluate the microbial communities' biochemical and enzymatic allocations in studied samples.ResultsBlast analysis showed that the top ten phyla were Annelida, Eukaryota, Diatomea, Porifera, Phragmoplastophyta, Arthropoda, Dinoflagellata, Xenacoelomorpha Nematoda, and uncultured. Annelida was also found in the highest percentage (93%), in the sample M followed by Porifera (64%), the most abundant in the control sample then Eukaryotes (61%), Phragmatoplastophyta (55%), Arthropoda, and Diatomea (the least common) (32%). community diversity analysis: using Shannon and inverse Simpson indices showed sediment composition to be effective. Also, PICRUST2 indicated that the most abundant pathways were pyruvate fermentation to isobutanol, pyrimidine deoxyribonucleotide phosphorylation, adenosine ribonucleotide de novo biosynthesis, guanosine ribonucleotide de novo biosynthesis, NAD salvage pathway I, the super pathway of glyoxylate bypass and aerobic respiration I (cytochrome c).ConclusionResults showed that high throughput metagenomics could reveal species diversity and estimate gene profiles. Environmental factors appear to be more important than geographic variation in determining the structure of these microbial communities. This study provides the first report of marine benthic micro-eukaryotic communities found on the Red Sea coast of Jeddah and will serve as a good platform for future research.     

Characterization of the alginates from algae harvested at the Egyptian Red Sea coast

The alginates from five species of brown algae from the Egyptian Red Sea coast, namely: Cystoseira trinode, Cystoseira myrica, Sargassum dentifolium, Sargassum asperifolium, and Sargassum latifolium, were isolated and their compositions and structures studied by 1H NMR spectroscopy. All the alginates studied contain more guluronic acid (G) than mannuronic acid (M) and have a homopolymeric block-type structure (eta<1). The intrinsic viscosity of the alginate samples range from 8.6 to 15.2 and the gel strength ranges from 10.97 to 15.51. The constitutional G- and M-blocks of alginates from two different species (C. trinode and S. latifolium) were separated after partial acid hydrolysis. The 1H NMR spectral data of the blocks GG and MM obtained by chemical fractionation were compared with those of polymeric alginates. The monomeric uronic acids were separated by complete acid hydrolysis of S. asperifolium alginate and the G and M monomers were characterized by 1H, 13C NMR spectroscopy as well as by paper electrophoresis.     

Schindleria parva,a new species of Schindler's fish (Teleostei: Schindleriidae: Schindleria) from Jeddah,Saudi Arabia,Red Sea

Schindleria parva, a new species of the family Schindleriidae, is described from two specimens collected from the central Red Sea of Saudi Arabia. The new species is characterized by lack of pigmentation on the body, possession of an inconspicuous gas bladder and the presence of small teeth on the premaxillae. The holotype is a female of 11 mm standard length (SL) (11.9 mm total length) and the paratype is a male of 9 mm SL. Dorsal fin rays 10 (9) anal fin rays 9 (7). The body depth at pectoral-fin origin 5% (4%) of SL, depth at anal-fin origin 8% (7%) SL, predorsal length 63% (65%) SL, preanal length 72% (72%) SL, the first anal-fin ray situated below the fourth dorsal-fin ray), a total of 23 + 16 myomeres. The female contained a series of 30 rectangular eggs in a single row, whereas the male is characterized by a short rod-like urogenital papilla. Species of the genus Schindleria are likely the smallest marine vertebrates on the planet and S. parva is likely the smallest Schindleria species in the Red Sea. The global diversity of Schindleria is likely underestimated due to the paedomorphic features of this genus. Its fast generation times make it a species-rich genus of high turnover rates, thus potentially highly important for the trophic food webs of coral reefs. Thus, this finding advances knowledge on the biodiversity of the Red Sea, highlights its conservation significance, and contributes towards the understanding of the complexity of the coral-reef fish community.     

Evaluation of antimicrobial activity of bacterial symbionts isolated from wild field cockroach Blattella vaga from Saudi Arabia

Drug-resistant pathogens form the main threat to global health during the current century. Annually, a lot of patients die in hospitals due to infection with one or more drug-resistant bacteria especially Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). In the absence of new effective antimicrobial drugs, the number of deaths said to be increased. Searching for new antibiotics in our backyard form a part of scientist strategies to solve such serious health problem. Insects consider one of such interesting sources of the new era of antimicrobial drugs. Cockroaches as an example can live and adapt in a polluted area for a long time, so through this work field cockroach, Blattella vaga was collected from two semi-wild areas around Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for isolation of gut bacteria searching for new antimicrobial agents. Three species of bacteria were identified from field cockroach gut: Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus subtilis, and Kocuria rosea. The three species were isolated, purified, and tested for their antimicrobial activity against four drug-resistant pathogens (three bacteria: Salmonella enterica (ATCC25566), Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (Clinical strain), and Streptococcus mutans (RCMB 017(1) ATCC ® 25175™) and one fungus: Candida albicans (RCMB005003(1) ATCC® 10231™)). The results show no antimicrobial activity of Bacillus subtilis and very good activity Bacillus licheniformis and Kocuria rosea. Bacillus licheniformis gives very effective activity against Candida albicans while Kocuria rosea is effective against MRSA and Streptococcus mutans. None of the gut isolated bacteria show any activity against Salmonella enterica. Such results revealed that the metabolites of these bacteria could be used as substitutes to the already used antibiotics to overcome the problem of multidrug-resistant human pathogens.     

Structure and Antibacterial Activity of Brominated Diterpenes from the Red Alga Sphaerococcus coronopifolius

Four new tetracyclic brominated diterpenes, 1 – 4 , were isolated from the organic extract of Sphaerococcus coronopifolius, collected from the rocky coasts of Corfu Island. The structures of the new natural products, as well as their relative configurations, were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectral analyses, including 2D‐NMR experiments. The isolated metabolites were evaluated for their antibacterial activity against a panel of bacteria including multidrug‐resistant (MDR) and methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) with MIC values in the range of 16–128 μg/ml.     

Sequence analysis of sub-genotype D hepatitis B surface antigens isolated from Jeddah,Saudi Arabia

Little is known about the prevalence of HBV genotypes/sub-genotypes in Jeddah province, although the hepatitis B virus (HBV) was identified as the most predominant type of hepatitis in Saudi Arabia. To characterize HBV genotypes/sub-genotypes, serum samples from 15 patients with chronic HBV were collected and subjected to HBsAg gene amplification and sequence analysis. Phylogenetic analysis of the HBsAg gene sequences revealed that 11 (48%) isolates belonged to HBV/D while 4 (18%) were associated with HBV/C. Notably, a HBV/D sub-genotype phylogenetic tree identified that eight current isolates (72%) belonged to HBV/D1, whereas three isolates (28%) appeared to be more closely related to HBV/D5, although they formed a novel cluster supported by a branch with 99% bootstrap value. Isolates belonging to D1 were grouped in one branch and seemed to be more closely related to various strains isolated from different countries. For further determination of whether the three current isolates belonged to HBV/D5 or represented a novel sub-genotype, HBV/DA, whole HBV genome sequences would be required. In the present study, we verified that HBV/D1 is the most prevalent HBV sub-genotype in Jeddah, and identified novel variant mutations suggesting that an additional sub-genotype designated HBV/DA should be proposed. Overall, the results of the present HBsAg sequence analyses provide us with insights regarding the nucleotide differences between the present HBsAg/D isolates identified in the populace of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and those previously isolated worldwide. Additional studies with large numbers of subjects in other areas might lead to the discovery of the specific HBV strain genotypes or even additional new sub-genotypes that are circulating in Saudi Arabia.     

Phylogenetic identification of epibiotic bacteria possessing antimicrobial activities isolated from red algal species of Japan

We investigated the diversity of epibiotic bacteria possessing antimicrobial activity isolated from nine species of red algae, and identified their phylogenetic position. For the isolation of epibiotic bacteria, nine species of red algae, Pachymeniopsis lauceolata, Plocamium telfairiae, Gelidium amansii, Chondrus oncellatus, Grateloupia filicina, Ceramium kondoi, Lomentaria catenata, Schizymenia dubyi and Porphyra yezoensis, were collected from the intertidal zone of Awaji Island, Japan. In total 92 bacteria were collected from the above red algal species. Primary screening results using disc diffusion assay revealed that 33% of bacteria possess antibacterial activity. Ten bacteria that showed high antibacterial activity were further studied for their ability to inhibit a set of fouling bacteria, some luminescent Vibrio and Photobacterium species and a panel of pathogenic bacteria. In general, the inhibitory activities were high against fouling and luminescent bacteria, while low against various pathogenic bacteria tested. These results suggest that some epibiotic bacteria have adapted to defend their position in their surface environment through the production of antibacterial metabolites giving defense against a broad spectrum of bacterial competitors. The phylogenetic analysis using 16 S rRNA sequences identified 7 of the 10 strains as belonging to the genus Bacillus, and other strains each 1 belonging to genus Microbacterium, Psychrobacter, and Vibrio species.     

Antibacterial bromophenols from the marine red alga Rhodomela confervoides

Two bromophenols, together with three known compounds, were isolated from the methanolic extract of the marine alga, Rhodomela confervoides. By means of MS and NMR spectroscopic analyses, they were identified as 3-bromo-4-[2,3-dibromo-4,5-dihydroxyphenyl] methyl-5-(hydroxymethyl) 1,2-benzenediol (1) and 3-bromo-4-[2,3-dibromo-4,5-dihydroxyphenyl] methyl-5- (ethoxymethyl) 1,2-benzenediol (2). Three known compounds were also isolated, namely 3-bromo-4-[2,3-dibromo-4,5-dihydroxyphenyl] methyl-5-(methoxymethyl) 1,2-benzenediol (3), 4,4'- methylenebis [5,6-dibromo-1,2-benzenediol] (4) and bis (2,3-dibromo-4,5-dihydroxybenzyl) ether (5). Compound 5 was the most active against five strains of bacteria with the MIC less than 70 microg/ml, while compounds 2, 3 and 4 exhibited moderate activity.     

Cross-species induction of antibacterial activity produced by epibiotic bacteria isolated from Indian marine sponge Pseudoceratina purpurea

Four antibiotic producing bacteria were isolated from the surface of the marine sponge Pseudoceratina purpurea and exposed to living cells of two human pathogenic bacteria as well as some marine fouling bacteria to induce the production of antimicrobial activity. Experimental results showed that these four marine epibiotic bacteria enhanced their antibacterial production, when exposed to these test strains. The highest induction was exhibited by the sponge isolate PS79 against fouling bacterium FB-9 (from 3 mm to 7 mm inhibition zone). All the four strains were induced and showed increased activity specifically against the challenged pathogenic or fouling bacteria tested. Specific induction by these species suggests that the induction might be attributed to the response to the chemical signals received from potential challenger strains.     

Antibacterial activity of three South Indian seagrasses, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cymodocea serrulata</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Halophila ovalis</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Zostera capensis</Emphasis>

The antibacterial properties of the three seagrasses namely Cymodocea serrulata, Halophila ovalis and Zostera capensis were tested against the human pathogens Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, B. subtilis, Escherichia coli, Salmonella paratyphi, Salmonella typhimurium and Micrococcus luteus, using six different solvents namely, petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, acetone, methanol and water. Ethyl acetate and methanol extracts showed maximum activity against most of the pathogens when compared to other solvents. Experiments are underway to isolate active compound(s) implicated in controlling the growth of the pathogens in vitro.     

福建崇武沿海野生经济底栖海藻资源

福建崇武沿海有底栖海藻46种。其中野生经济底栖海藻34种(蓝藻门1种,绿藻门8种,红藻门17种,褐藻门8种)。文中对这些海藻的经济价值及资源开发利用进行阐述。     

First report of secondary metabolites,Violaceol I and Violaceol II produced by endophytic fungus,Trichoderma polyalthiae and their antimicrobial activity

Bioactive compounds of endophytic fungus Trichoderma polyalthiae were extracted from culture broth media. The crude extracts showed strong antimicrobial activity against human pathogens. Biologically active compounds were isolated and purified by chromatographic methods. The structures of the pure compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. They were identified as Violaceol I and Violaceol II. These compounds were detected as secondary metabolites produced by this genus for the first time. Violaceol I and II had a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity against human pathogens, including Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Staphylococcus aureus, Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus) and Gram-negative bacteria (Salmonella typhimurium, Shigella sonnei) and Candida albicans. Violaceol I exhibited Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values (<9.765–156.25 μg/mL) that were higher than Violaceol II (<9.765–312.5 μg/mL). Additionally, the MIC value of the phenol violaceol from this taxon was lower than the previous reports.