Volume : 6, Issue : 6, June - 2017

APPLICATION OF COPPER NANOPARTICLES FOR THE CONTROL OF AEROMONAS HYDROPHILA INFECTION IN AQUACULTURE.

Suparna Dugal, Saleha Ansari

Abstract :

<p>&nbsp;<span style="text-align: justify; font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">&nbsp;<span lang="EN-IN">Aquaculture is prone to many challenges like climatic changes, environmental stress and bacterial infection.</span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="text-align: justify; font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; color: white;"> </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="text-align: justify; font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">In the current study, the use of copper nanoparticles to control <i>Aeromonas</i> infection in Mahseer fish, a valued species for aquaculture has been explored.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:&#10;justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">Copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) were synthesized using a chemical method. Characterization of synthesized nanoparticles was carried out by UV visible spectrophotometry, atomic absorption and scanning electron microscopy. Antimicrobial test was done by the agar cup diffusion assay and minimum inhibitory concentration of CuNPs required to inhibit <i>Aeromonas hydrophila </i>determined by macrooth dilution assay. Mahseer fry were kept in tanks containing dilute <i>Aeromonas</i> culture. Test fishes were given regular dips once a day in tanks containing <span style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">copper nanoparticles and</span> examined for signs of infection over a five day test period.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:&#10;justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">SEM studies revealed spherical nanoparticles approximately 85 nms in size. These CuNPs exhibited a maximum absorption peak at <span style="color:#0D0D0D;mso-themecolor:&#10;text1;mso-themetint:242;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">520nm.</span> Antibacterial activity by the agar cup diffusion assay indicated CuNPs to be a good bactericidal agent against <i>Aeromonas hydrophila</i>. MIC of copper nanoparticles against <i>Aeromonas hydrophila</i> was found to be 38 ppm. No evident sign of infection was seen in test fishes while control fishes died due to haemorrhage within two days. The current study hence demonstrates the potential use of copper nanoparticles in Mahseer aquaculture to prevent<i> Aeromonas</i> infection.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:&#10;justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></p>