Antimicrobial activity in serum of Atlantic cod Gadus morhua L.:: comparison between cultured and wild fish

The present investigation determined the antibacterial activities in the sera of both cultured and wild Atlantic cod Gadus morhua. Serum samples from both groups of fish were quantified for total protein, and their effects against fish pathogens Listonella anguillarum, Aeromonas salmonicida and Yersinia ruckeri were determined using co-incubation assay. Total serum protein concentrations were not significantly different between farmed and wild Atlantic cod. Sera of cultured Atlantic cod significantly decreased growth of L. anguillarum by at least two-log(10) reductions in bacterial count, while those of the wild Atlantic cod were able to inhibit the growth of all three fish bacterial pathogens. The present study showed that sera from wild fish possess broader antibacterial activities than cultured Atlantic cod and that these could provide an explanation for the differences regarding their immunity to bacterial infections as well as their health status. (c) 2008 The Authors Journal compilation (c) 2008 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.