Potensi Ekstrak dan Fraksi Karang Lunak (Nepthea Sp.) yang Diperoleh dari Perairan Pulau Manado Tua Terhadap Pertumbuhan Bakteri Staphylococcus aureus dan Escherichia coli

Abstract

Soft coral is a type of marine animal that lives in a coral reef environment and contains bioactive compounds that can act as a means of self-defense and have the ability as antibacterial compounds. This study aimed to determine the antibacterial activity of the extract and also the fraction of the soft coral Nephthea sp against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria. Nepthea sp soft coral samples were obtained from the waters of the island of Manado Tua. This research was a laboratory experiment conducted to test the antibacterial activity. Soft coral Nepthea sp was extracted with 95% ethanol, fractionation was carried out using n-hexane, chloroform, methanol, and antibacterial testing using the Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method. The results showed that the antibacterial activity of the extract and also the fraction of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria produced an inhibitory zone in all
extracts and fractions, namely, ethanol extract with an inhibitory power of 8.74 mm, n-hexane fraction 8.02 mm, chloroform fraction 8.11 mm, and 8.08 mm methanol fraction. Meanwhile, Escherichia coli bacteria also produced inhibition zones for all extracts and fractions, namely, ethanol extract with an inhibitory power of 8.56 mm, n-hexane fraction 8.15 mm, chloroform fraction 9.64 mm, and methanol fraction 7.81 mm. Therefore, extracts and fractions of Nepthea sp have activity on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria with moderate inhibitory power.