IN VITRO ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF PLANT EXTRACTS (IXORA COCCINEA AND TRIPHALA) AGAINST THE FISH PATHOGEN AEROMONAS CAVIAE AND 16S rRNA GENE SEQUENCING ANALYSIS

S. Justin Raj*, Alfena Begum M., Sherin A. and Clifford Binu

The fish pathogen Aeromonas caviae, which was isolated from Poecilia sphenops, was tested for its antibacterial activity in vitro using extracts from Ixora coccinea and triphala. Hexane, ethanol, and ethylene glycol were used in the collection, processing, and successive extraction of plant components. In 96-well plates, the antibacterial potential was evaluated using the microdilution method. Furthermore, the 16S rRNA gene was the target of PCR amplification for molecular identification. The gene products were then sequenced using BLAST and phylogenetic analyses to verify the pathogen's identity. The isolate was identified as A. caviae by molecular data, and the results showed moderate inhibitory zones for both plant extracts in all solvent systems. These results encourage more research using natural plant extracts as substitute antimicrobials in aquaculture.