Extraction and Characterization of Bioactive Metabolites from an Axenically Cultured cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa

Abstract

Cyanobacteria are recognized as promising sources of diverse metabolites with potential applications in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and biotechnological fields. The present study investigated the bioactive compound profile of an axenically cultured isolate Microcystis aeruginosa through solvent extraction, quantitative estimation and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The polyphenol and phenolic contents were estimated as 0.31 and 0.24 µg/mg extract, respectively, whereas the flavonoid, alkaloid, terpenoids and saponin contents were 9.84, 110.52 and 6.6 and 165 µg/mg extract, respectively. GC-MS analysis revealed a diverse chemical profile comprising hydrocarbons, fatty acid derivatives, terpenoid-related compounds and other organic constituents. Among the identified constituents were isopropyl myristate, phytol, n-hexadecenoic acid, hexadecane, heptadecane, octadecane and other hydrocarbon derivatives. The findings indicate that the axenically cultured M. aeruginosa isolate contains diverse extractable metabolites and measurable quantities of several bioactive compound groups. The study contributes to the chemical characterization of an axenically cultivated M. aeruginosa isolate and provides a basis for further investigation and structural characterization of its bioactive constituents.