Screening of cultivated seaweeds for antibacterial activity against fish pathogenic bacteria

Because of the evolving resistance of microorganisms to existing antibiotics, there is an increasing need for new antibiotics not only in human but also in veterinary medicine. Competition for space and nutrients led to the evolution of antimicrobial defence strategies in the aquatic environment. Therefore, aquatic organisms, e.g., seaweeds, offer a particularly rich source of potential new drugs. The aim of our studies was to identify seaweeds, which possess activities against fish pathogenic bacteria and could be an alternative to the commonly used antibiotics in aquaculture. Dichloromethane, methanole and water extracts of 26 species of cultivated seaweeds were screened for their antibacterial activities against five fish pathogenic bacteria strains (Aeromonas salmonicida ssp. salmonicida, Aeromonas hydrophila ssp. hydrophila, Pseudomonas anguilliseptica, Vibrio anguillarum, Yersinia ruckeri). The dichloromethane extracts of Asparagopsis armata, Ceramium rubrum, Drachiella minuta, Falkenbergia rufolanosa, Gracilaria cornea and Halopitys incurvus showed strong antibacterial activities. V. anguillarum and P. anguilliseptica were the two most susceptible bacteria strains. The screening results confirm the possible use of seaweeds as a source of antimicrobial compounds or as a health-promoting food for aquaculture. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.