Antimicrobial properties of skin mucus from four freshwater cultivable Fishes (Catla catla, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, Labeo rohita and Ctenopharyngodon idella)

The fishes are living in the medium rich in pathogenic microbes. The mucus secreted by the skin of fish showed more antimicrobial properties. The mucus collected from the two exotic fishes and two indigenous fishes were tested against the five pathogenic bacteria (Klebsiella pneumonia, Vibrio cholerae, Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and five pathogenic fungi namely (Mucor globosus, Rhizopus arrhizus, Candida albicans, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger). The fishes are living in media rich in pathogenic microbes which secrete substances against them. The mucus secreted by the skin of fish showed more antimicrobial properties. More antibacterial and antifungal activity were observed in an indigenous fishes (Catla catla and Labeo rohita) than exotic fishes (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and Ctenopharyngodon idella).