Evaluation of Lipid Extracts from the Marine Fungi <i>Emericellopsis cladophorae</i> and <i>Zalerion maritima</i> as a Source of Anti-Inflammatory, Antioxidant and Antibacterial Compounds

Marine environments occupy more than 70% of the earth’s surface, integrating very diverse habitats with specific characteristics. This heterogeneity of environments is reflected in the biochemical composition of the organisms that inhabit them. Marine organisms are a source of bioactive compounds, being increasingly studied due to their health-beneficial properties, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, or anticancer. In the last decades, marine fungi have stood out for their potential to produce compounds with therapeutic properties. The objective of this study was to determine the fatty acid profile of isolates from the fungi <i>Emericellopsis cladophorae</i> and <i>Zalerion maritima</i> and assess the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial potential of their lipid extracts. The analysis of the fatty acid profile, using GC-MS, showed that <i>E. cladophorae</i> and <i>Z. maritima</i> possess high contents of polyunsaturated fatty acids, 50% and 34%, respectively, including the omega-3 fatty acid 18:3 <i>n</i>-3. <i>Emericellopsis cladophorae</i> and <i>Z. maritima</i> lipid extracts showed anti-inflammatory activity expressed by the capacity of their COX-2 inhibition which was 92% and 88% of inhibition at 200 µg lipid mL⁻¹, respectively. <i>Emericellopsis cladophorae</i> lipid extracts showed a high percentage of inhibition of COX -2 activity even at low concentrations of lipids (54% of inhibition using 20 µg lipid mL⁻¹), while a dose-dependent behaviour was observed in <i>Z. maritima</i>. The antioxidant activity assays of total lipid extracts demonstrated that the lipid extract from <i>E. cladophorae</i> did not show antioxidant activity, while <i>Z. maritima</i> gave an IC₂₀ value of 116.6 ± 6.2 µg mL⁻¹ equivalent to 92.1 ± 4.8 µmol Trolox g⁻¹ of lipid extract in the DPPH• assay, and 101.3 ± 14.4 µg mL⁻¹ equivalent to 106.6 ± 14.8 µmol Trolox g⁻¹ of lipid extract in the ABTS•⁺ assay. The lipid extract of both fungal species did not show antibacterial properties at the concentrations tested. This study is the first step in the biochemical characterization of these marine organisms and demonstrates the bioactive potential of lipid extracts from marine fungi for biotechnological applications.