Preventing Bacterial Infections in Fish Through Organic Medications


In human, sugar is very important to biological process since it is a general form which is absorbed by cells. Inside our body, the sugar is obtained by the chemical process at mouth from carbohydrate. By reacting the enzyme with it, chemically speaking, it cracks the bonding and produces the sugar. And the sugar itself is cracked into several small compound i.e. glucose.

This mechanism becomes key factors in increasing the body of the fish. The recent study shows that plants which can produce polysaccharides are reported to able in replacing medical treatments for fish. They are important in balancing the closed-system of ecology and playing crucial role. Erlong Wang of Department of Basic Veterinary, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University investigated the plants polysaccharides which are Ficus farica, Radix isatidis and Schisandra chinensis in preventing and controlling microbes in aquaculture. They used the plants as additional vitamins contained in the feed for crucian carp in resisting the disease caused by Aeromonas hydrophila.

The bacteria are native warm climate and they can survive either in aerobic or anaerobic ecosystem. This ability helps them to live in fresh or even worst quality of water such as brakish water. Interestingly, Aeromonas hydrophila is reported to digest gelatin and hemoglobin. As a result, they can survive from most general antibiotics and cold temperatures. This bacterium is the main enemy for fish farmers in near-equator countries. For example, consuming fish in Indonesia, the catfish are vulnerable against this bacterium and providing continued issue in fish cultivation. The bacterium causes many symptoms and one of those is physical wound in the fins and body.

The researchers use the plant in a form of dry powers through the extractions conducted by Yang et al and selected immunological parameters. They are the phagocytosis assay, serum bactericidal activity and lysozyme activity, detecting of serum total protein including complement C3 and SOD activity, and surviving test against the Aeromonas hydrophila. The results showed significant changes in immune system of the carp. The fish increased the leukocyte of phagocytosis during the 21 days fed by the food which is added with the extraction of those three plants. Surprisingly, the plants were able to help the carp in surviving against the bacterium and the amount of the fish which are able to withstand against the bacteria for more than half. It means, the death of the fish in infected ecosystem decreased for 50% in overall.

In conclusion, this method can be considered as organic medical treatments since the feed is added from the plants. And the capability of preventing from the bacteria is obtained by increasing the phagocytosis level for instance.

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