AUTHOR=Marino Fabio , Di Caro Gianfranco , Gugliandolo Concetta , Spanò Antonio , Faggio Caterina , Genovese Giuseppa , Morabito Marina , Russo Annamaria , Barreca Davide , Fazio Francesco , Santulli Andrea 

TITLE=Preliminary Study on the In vitro and In vivo Effects of Asparagopsis taxiformis Bioactive Phycoderivates on Teleosts

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Physiology

VOLUME=7

YEAR=2016

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2016.00459

DOI=10.3389/fphys.2016.00459

ISSN=1664-042X

ABSTRACT=<p>Several compounds from marine organisms have been studied for their potential use in aquaculture. Among the red algae, <italic>Asparagopsis taxiformis</italic> is considered one of the most promising species for the production of bioactive metabolites with numerous proposed applications. Here, the <italic>in vitro</italic> antibacterial activity, the easy handling and the absence of adverse effects on marine fish species are reported. Depending on the seasonal period of sampling, ethanol extracts of <italic>A. taxiformis</italic> exhibited significantly different inhibitory activity against fish pathogenic bacteria. The extract obtained in late spring showed strong antibacterial activity against <italic>Aeromonas salmonicida</italic> subsp. <italic>salmonicida, Vibrio alginolyticus</italic>, and <italic>V. vulnificus</italic>, and moderate activity against <italic>Photobacterium damselae</italic> subsp. <italic>damselae, P. damselae</italic> subsp. <italic>piscicida, V. harveyi</italic> and <italic>V. parahaemolyticus</italic>. Sea bass and gilthead sea bream were fed with pellets supplied with the alga and algal extracts. The absence of undesired effects on fish was demonstrated. Hematological and biochemical investigations allowed to confirm that the whole alga and its extracts could be proposed for a future application in aquaculture.</p>