The impact and mode of action of phenolic compounds extracted from brown seaweed on mixed anaerobic microbial cultures

Aims This study discusses the effect of phenolic compounds extracted from brown seaweed (phlorotannins) on mixed microbial cultures found in anaerobic systems. Methods and Results Assays were conducted with phloroglucinol as the nonpolymerized form of phlorotannin and with phlorotannins extracted fr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Journal of applied microbiology Vol. 114; no. 4; pp. 964 - 973
Main Authors:	Hierholtzer, A., Chatellard, L., Kierans, M., Akunna, J.C., Collier, P.J.
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Oxford Blackwell 01-04-2013 Oxford University Press Wiley
Subjects:	Algae Anaerobiosis Anti-Bacterial Agents - isolation & purification Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology antimicrobials Bacteria Bacteria - drug effects Bacteria - ultrastructure biodegradation Biological and medical sciences cell injury Cell Membrane - drug effects Cell Membrane Permeability - drug effects Environmental Sciences Fatty Acids, Volatile - biosynthesis Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology Laminaria - chemistry Laminaria digitata Life Sciences mechanism of action membrane Methane - biosynthesis Microbiology Phenology Phenols - isolation & purification Phenols - pharmacology Phloroglucinol - isolation & purification Phloroglucinol - pharmacology Polymerization Seaweed - chemistry Tannins - isolation & purification Tannins - pharmacology Biodegradation Applied microbiology Algae Injury Mixed microorganism culture cell injury Extract antimicrobials Antimicrobial agent Anaerobe Microorganism culture Phenols Membrane Mechanism of action mechanism of action biodegradation membrane
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Summary:	Aims This study discusses the effect of phenolic compounds extracted from brown seaweed (phlorotannins) on mixed microbial cultures found in anaerobic systems. Methods and Results Assays were conducted with phloroglucinol as the nonpolymerized form of phlorotannin and with phlorotannins extracted from the brown seaweed Laminaria digitata. Electron micrographs revealed that phlorotannins induce significant extra‐ and intracellular effects upon cells, with the disruption of cell membranes observed with most micro‐organisms. Microscopy results were further confirmed by cell membrane leakage assays demonstrating that phloroglucinol strongly affects cell membrane permeability. However, cell membrane leakage could not be observed with phlorotannins as the cell suspension immediately started to coagulate and impaired spectrophotometric measurements. Conclusions Results suggest that the bactericidal activity of phlorotannins is a function of the level of polymerization of the compounds. By monitoring intermediary compounds during the anaerobic digestion of phlorotannins, it was also found that higher energy consumption is required by micro‐organisms for survival under stress induced by phlorotannins. Significance and Impact of the Study The successful anaerobic degradation of brown seaweed is thus likely to be dependant on the concentration of phenolic compounds present and their bactericidal effect on micro‐organisms. This is the first article to posit a probable mode of action for the antimicrobial effect of phlorotannins.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	1364-5072 1365-2672
DOI:	10.1111/jam.12114