Screening a Mediterranean Sponge Axinella verrucosa For Antibacterial Activity in Comparison to Some Antibiotics

The antibacterial effect of crude extract of marine sponge Axinella verrucosa at room temperature against seven nosocomial bacteria and one fungal isolates including, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter septicus and Proteus vulgaris, Acinetobacter meningitis, Klebsiella pneumonia, E. coli and the fungal pathogen Candida albicans were studied by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion assay and, the findings of antibacterial activity of crude methanolic extract sponge A. verrucosa were compared to the efficiency of some marketed antibiotics that were tested against the same bacteria at given concentrations. In result, it was found that MeOH crude extract of Axinella verrucosa is effective against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter septicus and Proteus vulgaris and except for its ineffectiveness against Acinetobacter meningitis, Klebsiella pneumonia, E. coli and the fungal pathogen Candida albicans. It was more active than Azithromycin and Gentamicin Against Proteus vulgaris and more efficient than ciprofloxacin against Acinetobacter septicus. Hexane and Ethyl acetate crude extracts derived from A. verrucosa revealed no activity against all bacterial and fungal pathogen. Sponge Axinella verrucosa remains an interesting source of new antibacterial metabolites with better activity than some antibiotics.