Biochemical Characterization and Bioactivity of the Tape Seagrass Enhalus acoroides (L.f.) Royle from Gosoon, Carmen, Agusan Del Norte, Philippines

Abstract

Seagrasses have been used for food and traditional medicine for centuries, but only a few studies report their bioactivities and nutritional and medicinal values, particularly in Caraga Region, Philippines. Thus, crude ethanolic extracts of the tape seagrass Enhalus acoroides collected from Gosoon, Carmen, Agusan Del Norte, Philippines, were evaluated for biochemical constituents and bioactivity. Proximate analysis of E. acoroides yields the following results: moisture: 18.3%, Ash: 16.50%, crude fiber: 11.49%, crude protein: 5.52%, crude fat: 0.91%, and total sugar: 2.06%. Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy analysis identified the presence of hydroxyl groups, alkanes, esters, and carbohydrates. Enhalus acoroides showed active inhibition against gram-negative Escherichia coli and gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (25±0.00 mm and 23.67±0.58 mm, respectively) using the Disk-diffusion method. Furthermore, cytotoxicity against Artemia salina nauplii revealed high toxicity of E. acoroides after 18 (LC50 value of 0.31 ppm) and 24-hour (LC50 value of 4.5x10-3 ppm) treatment with complete mortality at 24 hours. The present findings suggest the potential of E. acoroides for nutritional and medicinal purposes.