Investigations of Antibacterial Activity of Methanol and Aqueous Extracts of the Body Wall of Sea Cucumber Holothuria leucospilota on some Human Pathogenic Bacteria

Introduction & Holothuria leucospilota, sea cucumber, is a species of the Phylum Echinodermata. Sea cucumbers have the most natural products with biological activity. In this study we investigated the antibacterial activity of aqueous and methanol extract of H. leucospilota used against gram positive and gram negative human pathogenic bacteria.
9 Samples of H. leucospilota were harvested from the Hengam Island,. The methanol extract was prepared from the powder of sea cucumber. The antibacterial activity of the extracts was determined by broth dilution methods against clinical Gram-negative bacteria to identify MIC and MBC.
Aqueous extract of H. leucospilota was inactive on the bacteria. Methanol extract was active on Gram-negetive bacteria; E. coli, Salmonella typhi and Serratia marcescens. But it killed only Salmonella typhi and Serratia marcescens. The MBC of H. leucospilota methanol extract was 10 mg/ml. Methanol extract was active on all Gram-positive bacteria; B. pumilus, B. cereus and S. aureus but it killed only S. aureus. The MBC of H. leucospilota methanol extract was 40 mg/ml.
Based on our results, H. leucospilota methanol extract. can be considered as a source of novel antibiotic. Contrary to many marine organisms, sea cucumbers are active against gram-negative bacteria.