The anti-quorum sensing activities towards the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA01 (pyocyanin production, biofilm formation and twitching and flagella motility) of two crude extracts (methanol and acetone) of the freshwater sponge Ochridaspongia rotunda (Arndt, 1937) were evaluated in vitro for the first time. Both extracts demonstrated P. aeruginosa pyocyanin inhibitory activity, reducing its production for 49.90% and 42.44%, respectively. In addition, they both showed higher anti-biofilm activity (48.29% and 53.99%, respectively) than ampicillin (30.84%). Finally, O. rotunda extracts effectively reduced twitching and flagella motility of P. aeruginosa. Taken all together, these results suggest that endemic sponge species from the oldest lake in Europe may offer novel bioactive natural products with promising medicinal potential towards P. aeruginosa infections.
Keywords: Lake Ohrid; Ochridaspongia rotunda; Porifera; bioactivity.