Antimicrobial activity of marine bacteria from Malaysian coastal area

The marine environment is an abundant resource for the isolation of less exploited microorganisms. The unexploited habitats in the sea exist with unique characteristics. Additionally, the potential contribution of marine sources to the discovery of new bioactive molecules was recently recognized. In order to explore marine microorganisms with medical potential, marine bacteria were isolated from sea water collected from different areas of Pulau Kapas Beach and Pantai Batu Burok, Terengganu. The growth curve and the antimicrobial activities of these bacteria were investigated. Organic extracts (hexane, ethyl acetate, and butanol) of marine bacterial fermentation were screened for antimicrobial activities using disk diffusion method. The results revealed that the marine bacteria D7 entered the stationary phase at 24 hr of growth. The ethyl acetate extracts displayed antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae, but possessed no effect on bacterium Escherichia coli, and yeasts Candida albicans. These marine bacteria are expected to be potential resources of natural antibiotic products.