Antibacterial compounds in green microalgae from extreme environments: a review

Increased proliferation of bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a critical issue that has increased the demand for novel antibacterial compounds. Antibacterial activities have been evaluated in extracts from photosynthetic green microalgae, with varying levels of subsequent potential for development based on the strain of algae, strain of bacterial pathogen, and solvent used to extract the metabolites. Green microalgae from extreme environmental conditions have had to adapt to conditions that exclude many other organisms. The production of antibacterial compounds aids directly or indirectly in the survival of green microalgae in these extreme environments, as well as potentially serve other roles. This review investigates antibacterial activities of green microalgae from both extreme in-situ environmental conditions and induced extreme laboratory conditions and highlights.