RESULTS: Out of 270 grouper samples, 195 (72%) were detected with the presence of Vibrio spp. Vibrio communis showed highest prevalence in grouper (28%), followed by V. parahaemolyticus (25%), V. alginolyticus (19%), V. vulnificus (14%), V. rotiferianus (3%), Vibrio sp. (3%), V. campbellii (2%), V. mytili (2%), V. furnissii (2%), V. harveyi (1%), V. tubiashii (1%), V. fluvialis (0.3%) and V. diabolicus (0.3%). Assessment on the antibiotic susceptibility profiles of the Vibrio spp. revealed that majority of the isolates were susceptible to tetracycline, streptomycin, erythromycin and bacitracin, but resistance to ampicillin, penicillin G and vancomycin. The mean MAR index of the Vibrio isolates was 0.51, with 85% of the isolates showed MAR index value of higher than 0.2. Results indicate that the Vibrio spp. were continuously exposed to antibiotics. Furthermore, the plasmid profiles of Vibrio spp. showed that 38.7% of the isolates harbored plasmid with molecular weight of more than 10 kb, while 61.3% were without plasmid. During curing process, Vibrio spp. lost their plasmid, but remained resistant to ampicillin, penicillin G, bacitracin and vancomycin while a few isolates remained resistant to erythromycin, streptomycin and tetracycline. The results suggested that the resistance to antibiotics in isolated Vibrio spp. might be due to chromosomal and plasmid borne.
CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the prevalence of Vibrio spp. in groupers and the distribution of multidrug resistance strains that could be of concern to the farmers in Malaysia. In addition, data from this study can be further used in fish disease management plan.
METHODOLOGY: Qualitative phytochemical analysis was firstly carried out to determine the possible active compounds in P. betle leaves methanolic extract. The antibacterial activities of major compounds from this extract against nine fish pathogenic bacteria were then assessed using TLC-bioautography agar overlay assay and their quantity were determined simultaneously by HPLC method.
RESULTS: The use of methanol has proved to be successful in extracting numerous bioactive compounds including antibacterial compounds. The TLC-bioautography assay revealed the inhibitory action of two compounds which were identified as hydroxychavicol and eugenol. The $-caryophyllene however was totally inactive against all the tested bacterial species. In this study, the concentration of hydroxychavicol in extract was found to be 374.72±2.79 mg g-1, while eugenol was 49.67±0.16 mg g-1.
CONCLUSION: Based on these findings, it could be concluded that hydroxychavicol and eugenol were the responsible compounds for the promising antibacterial activity of P. betle leaves methanolic extract. This inhibitory action has significantly correlated with the amount of the compounds in extract. Due to its potential, the extract of P. betle leaves or it compounds can be alternative source of potent natural antibacterial agents for aquaculture disease management.