Antibacterial activity from soft corals of the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia

Antibacterial activity was observed for five out of the seven soft coral extracts (72%) against two Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus spp.) bacterial pathogens, while none of the extracts inhibited Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria. The most potent (MIC = 40-75 μg/ml) crude extracts were obtained from S. polydactyla and Sarcophyton spp., while the crude extract of Xenia spp. was the least effective (MIC ≥ 200 μg/ml) against the tested Gram-positive bacteria. The results from the current study suggest that soft corals of the Red Sea (Yunbu, SA) are a potential source of novel antibiotics.