Marine antifoulants from Bifurcaria bifurcata (Phaeophyceae, Cystoseiraceae) and other brown macroalgae

In this study, the antifouling activity of a series of extracts and linear diterpenes isolated from Bifurcaria bifurcata (Velley) Ross, a common brown alga of the Atlantic shores of Europe, and derivatives of these compounds was investigated. Antifouling assays with crude extracts from other brown algae, found abundantly along the coast of South Africa (Bifurcaria brassicaeformis, Bifurcariopsis capensis), the Atlantic shores of Europe (Halidrys siliquosa) and the coast of Mediterranean sea (Cladostephus verticillatus, Halopteris scoparia ), are also reported. The fractions were tested in laboratory assays against representative species of the major groups of fouling organisms, viz. bacteria, fungi, diatoms, spores and zygotes of macroalgae and the blue mussel Mytilus edulis. Several components showed promising levels of activity. The high, albeit variable, level of antifouling activity suggests a potential for novel active ingredients in antifouling preparations.