Biochemical and pharmacological investigations of selected cyanobacteria

• Published in: International journal of hygiene and environmental health Vol. 203; no. 4; pp. 327 - 334
• Main Authors: Mundt, Sabine, Kreitlow, Susann, Nowotny, Andrea, Effmert, Uta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Jena Elsevier GmbH 01.05.2001; Elsevier
• Subjects: antibacterial; antiviral; bioassay-guided isolation; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Assay; Biotechnology; Collective facilities; cultivation; Culture Media, Conditioned - chemistry; Culture Media, Conditioned - pharmacology; Cyanobacteria; Cyanobacteria - chemistry; Cyanobacteria - isolation & purification; Environment and pollution; Environment. Living conditions; Fresh Water - microbiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetically engineered organisms behavior (microorganisms, plants, animals); Germany; immunomodulating; In Vitro Techniques; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Medical sciences; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Seawater - microbiology; Water Microbiology; α-linolenic acid; Germany; bioassay-guided isolation; α-linolenic acid; Cyanobacteria; antiviral; antibacterial; immunomodulating; cultivation; Cell culture; Insulation; Activity; Pharmacology; Compounds; Biological activity; Marine environment; Immunosuppression; Linolenic acid; Bacteria; Antiviral; Antibacterial agent
• ISSN: 1438-4639; 1618-131X
• DOI: 10.1078/1438-4639-00045

Cyanobacteria are a very old group of prokaryotic organisms that produce a variety of secondary metabolites with antibiotic, algicide, cytotoxic, immunosuppressive and enzyme inhibiting activities. In the last decades structures of pure compounds have been determined as phenols, peptides, alkaloids or terpenoids (Falch, 1996). Screening of lipophilic and hydrophilic extracts from cultured cyanobacteria or waterbloom material, isolated from German lakes and the Baltic sea for antiviral, antibiotic, immunomodulating and enzyme inhibiting activity in different in vitro systems revealed strains with interesting effects. These strains were cultivated in 45 litre photobioreactors to produce enough biomass for bioassay-guided isolation of the active substances. First results characterising active substances are reported.