Seahorses and pipefishes: looking into its antimicrobial potential as used in traditional chinese medicine (TCM)
Paper Details
Seahorses and pipefishes: looking into its antimicrobial potential as used in traditional chinese medicine (TCM)
Abstract
Seahorses and pipefishes are important candidate organisms which have been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). This study takes precedence in testing the antimicrobial potential of yellow seahorse (Hippocampus kuda) and scribbled pipefish (Corythoichthys intestinalis) crude extracts and decoction preparations with the following concentrations: 10%, 25%, 30%, 70% w/v. Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion test was used for the following test organisms: Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis. Observations from 24 to 72 hrs. were recorded. Photographs were taken for all the plates examined, processed and analyzed using UTHSCA Image tool software for measuring zones of inhibitions. Male and female pipefish crude extract preparations have effect on the test strains however, it yielded negative results on the decoction preparation. Inhibition zones were produced in all three (3) bacterial strains for the female pipefish while the male pipefish only produced inhibition zones against two (2) bacterial strains (P. aeruginosa and S. aureus). Noteworthy, various crude extract concentrations of male seahorse on B. subtilis and E. coli strikingly produced zones of inhibition. Varied concentrations of decoction preparation against B. subtilis and S. aureus also exhibit positive zones of inhibition. Noticeable zones of inhibition were commonly produced at 30 to 70% concentration for crude extracts. Results may support therapeutic claims albeit not comparable to commercial antibiotics. Moreover, it was observed that pipefishes classified as Least concern (LC) by IUCN produced more zones of inhibition thus, may alleviate pressure on rarer seahorses
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Sharon Rose Tabugo, Earth Khent Callo, Grazzette Anne Dablo, Charity Mae Apale, 2019. Seahorses and pipefishes: looking into its antimicrobial potential as used in traditional chinese medicine (TCM). Int. J. Biosci., 15(1), 384-396.
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