ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIMICROBIAL POTENTIALS OF THE EXTRACTS OBTAINED FROM THE FIVE MARINE SPONGES COLLECTED OFF THE COASTS OF AGUSAN DEL NORTE, PHILIPPINES: AXINYSSA SP, PLOCAMIONIDA SP, FORCEPIA SP, PACHYMATISMA SP AND PLACOSPONGIA SP

Five marine sponges were collected off Carmen, Agusan del Norte, Philippines and taxonomically identified as Axinyssa sp., Plocamionida sp., Forcepia sp., Pachymatisma sp and Placospongia sp. The “non-polar” (EtOAc-MeOH) and “pola”r (EtOH-_H2O) extracts of the marine sponges were prepared and subjected to 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay, a total antioxidant capacity assay using the phosphor molybdenum method and antimicrobial assay using the paper disc diffusion method. The marine sponge extracts exhibited low antioxidant activity as indicated by both the percent antiradical activity values obtained which ranged from 0.89% to 5.41% and the total antioxidant capacity values expressed as Ascorbic Acid Equivalence (AAE) ranging from 11.99 to 126.67 AAE and Butylated Hydroxytoluene Equivalence (BHTE) with a value range of 6.64 to 148.30 BHTE). The non-polar extracts from all the marine sponges as well as the polar extract from the marine sponge Forcepia sp. showed antibacterial activity against the two bacterial strains, B. subtilis and E. coli. However, the marine sponge extracts no significant antifungal activity against the two fungal strains, A. niger and S. cerevisiae. The results indicate the potential of the marine sponges as sources of antioxidant and antibacterial compounds.