A novel antimicrobial therapy for the control of Aeromonas hydrophila infection in aquaculture using marine polysaccharide coated gold nanoparticle.

In the present study, we prepared fucoidan coated Au-NPs (Fu-AuNPs), and examined its antimicrobial activity against Aeromonas hydrophila. The green synthesized Fu-AuNPs were bio-physically characterized by Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Higher Transmission Electron Microscopy (HR-TEM), Zeta potential analysis and Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Fu-AuNPs were crystalline in nature, spherical to triangular in shape, with particle size ranging within 10-100 nm. The synthesized Fu-AuNPs at 100 μg mL showed inhibition zone against A. hydrophila (23.2 mm) which is much higher than that of commercial antibiotic chloramphenicol (17.3 mm). The biofilm inhibitory activity of Fu-AuNPs against Gram negative (Aeromonas hydrophila) was higher. Light and confocal laser scanning microscopic observations showed that the Fu-AuNPs at 100 μg mL inhibited the biofilm of A. hydrophila. The cytotoxicity study indicated that Fu-AuNPs were effective in inhibiting the viability of human cervical cancer cells (HeLa) at 100 μg mL. In another experiment, the antibacterial effect of Fu-AuNPs on tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus were evaluated in vivo. The mortality rate of O. mossambicus infected by A. hydrophila was much higher (90%), whereas, the mortality of O. mossambicus that received Fu-AuNPs followed by challenge with A. hydrophia was reduced to 30%. This study concludes that Fu-AUNPs are effective in the control of A. hydrophila infections in O. mossambicus.