Abstract:
The composition of the lipophilic extract from the two specimen of the sponge Axinella carteri (Dendy) collected from two different depths of the Bay of Bengal of the Orissa coast were investigated. Fatty acids, as well as volatile compounds and sterols, were identified. A high concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids was identified from depth species compared to the species collected from shallow water. The presence of a high concentration of a polymethyl-branched fatty acid, i.e., phytanic acid, and a demospongic acid (C26:2, Delta 5,9) were identified in both specimen, but the % composition of both acids were more in the species collected from depth than the species collected from shallow water. Important polyunsaturated fatty acids like 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraenoic acid and 5,8,11,14,17-eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) were also found in depth species which were absent in the species collected from shallow water. Antimicrobial screening of the lipid extracts of A. carteri was also studied against different pathogens.