Evaluation of antioxidant and antibacterial activities of seagrass Cymodocea serrulata

Seagrasses are known to produce bioactive metabolites with promising pharmacological potential. This study investigates the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of ethanol extracts from Cymodocea serrulata. The antibacterial efficacy was evaluated using the agar disc diffusion method, where the extract against Escherichia coli, with the highest inhibition observed at concentrations of 200 µg/mL and 100 µg/mL, showing inhibition zones of 13 mm and 11 mm, respectively. In addition to E. coli, antibacterial activity was also observed against Streptococcus mutans and Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Antioxidant activity was assessed through DPPH and hydrogen peroxide scavenging assays. The extract a maximum DPPH scavenging activity of 53.2 ± 2.7% at 100 µg/mL, compared to a standard value of 68.2 ± 2.2%. For hydrogen peroxide scavenging, the activity increased with concentration, 62.6 ± 2.6% at 100 µg/mL, while the standard exhibited 74.5 ± 2.4% although seagrass extract antioxidant activity is slightly lower than the standard. These results highlight the potential of C. serrulata as a source of bioactive compounds with significant antibacterial and antioxidant properties. The findings suggest its promising application in the development of environmentally safe therapeutic agents.