| Forty species of marine organism have been examined for antimicrobial activity. Seventy-five per cent of the organisms tested have proven active against one or more microorganisms capable of causing human disease.; Of the organisms tested, the Cannonball jellyfish (Stomolophus meleagris L. Agassiz 1860) was chosen for further evaluation of its chemical antimicrobial defenses. Methanol extracts of freeze-dried jellyfish were active against Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans and Proteus vulgaris. Reverse phase HPLC and MS/MS analysis demonstrated the presence of the antiviral and antineoplastic compounds 9-beta-D-arabinosyladenine and 9-beta-D-arabinosylthymine, as well as the weakly antibacterial and fungistatic isoprene derivative squalene. |
