Quorum Sensing Inhibitors as an Alternate …
287
antibiotics. About 70% of the vibrios isolated from aquaculture settings in Mexico
are multi-drug resistant (Verschuere et al. 2000). In addition, the antibiotic residues
from the excessive usage of antibiotics in aquaculture eventually accumulate in the
host tissues of farmed fin fishes and shellfish, thus causing adverse health problems
to humans. Hence, antibiotics are no longer considered as an effective measure for
treating vibriosis among aquatic animals (Verschuere et al. 2000; Cabello 2006).
Therefore, to increase and improve the yield of food production from the aquaculture industry, a novel alternative treatment strategy is urgently required to prevent
emerging antibiotic resistant bacterial infections among aquaculture organisms.
5 Alternative Strategies—Quorum Sensing (QS) Disruption
as a Novel Anti-infective Approach in Aquaculture
The ever increasing antibiotic resistance among bacterial pathogens and the bioaccumulation of antibiotic residues in the edible tissues has become global concern.
Therefore, an exigent need is raised for developing alternative approach to antimicrobial compounds to overcome this bacterial infection with similar or enhanced
protection to aquatic animals. An alternative approach with considerate on host and
environment with deleterious effect to the pathogen will be the most effective method
in the long-term to improve aquatic animal health. Recently, vaccination and application of probiotics become ideal methods for prevention of infectious diseases.
However, in aquaculture the commercially available vaccines and probiotics are
of very limited in success. As limited or no usage of antibiotics are stimulated and
chemotherapy has its own limitation in aquaculture production microbial interference
including bioremediation for health management and targeting quorum sensing (QS)
is fast emerging as an alternative therapy. Among many other alternative strategies,
the disruption of QS by inhibiting the virulence and biofilm formation of bacterial
pathogens has recently been suggested as a novel alternative strategy to antibiotics
for the use in aquaculture (Natrah et al. 2011). QS is the phenomenon of density
dependent coordinated gene expression system, which is mediated through small
signaling molecules called autoinducers (AIs). It has been well recognized that the
QS mediated by autoinducer molecules play a vital role in the regulation of virulence
factors production and biofilm formation of aquatic pathogens (Rasch et al. 2004).
Therefore, any interference with the autoinducer mediated QS mechanism would be
the suitable alternative treatment measure to prevent the emerging aquatic bacterial
diseases.
287
antibiotics. About 70% of the vibrios isolated from aquaculture settings in Mexico
are multi-drug resistant (Verschuere et al. 2000). In addition, the antibiotic residues
from the excessive usage of antibiotics in aquaculture eventually accumulate in the
host tissues of farmed fin fishes and shellfish, thus causing adverse health problems
to humans. Hence, antibiotics are no longer considered as an effective measure for
treating vibriosis among aquatic animals (Verschuere et al. 2000; Cabello 2006).
Therefore, to increase and improve the yield of food production from the aquaculture industry, a novel alternative treatment strategy is urgently required to prevent
emerging antibiotic resistant bacterial infections among aquaculture organisms.
5 Alternative Strategies—Quorum Sensing (QS) Disruption
as a Novel Anti-infective Approach in Aquaculture
The ever increasing antibiotic resistance among bacterial pathogens and the bioaccumulation of antibiotic residues in the edible tissues has become global concern.
Therefore, an exigent need is raised for developing alternative approach to antimicrobial compounds to overcome this bacterial infection with similar or enhanced
protection to aquatic animals. An alternative approach with considerate on host and
environment with deleterious effect to the pathogen will be the most effective method
in the long-term to improve aquatic animal health. Recently, vaccination and application of probiotics become ideal methods for prevention of infectious diseases.
However, in aquaculture the commercially available vaccines and probiotics are
of very limited in success. As limited or no usage of antibiotics are stimulated and
chemotherapy has its own limitation in aquaculture production microbial interference
including bioremediation for health management and targeting quorum sensing (QS)
is fast emerging as an alternative therapy. Among many other alternative strategies,
the disruption of QS by inhibiting the virulence and biofilm formation of bacterial
pathogens has recently been suggested as a novel alternative strategy to antibiotics
for the use in aquaculture (Natrah et al. 2011). QS is the phenomenon of density
dependent coordinated gene expression system, which is mediated through small
signaling molecules called autoinducers (AIs). It has been well recognized that the
QS mediated by autoinducer molecules play a vital role in the regulation of virulence
factors production and biofilm formation of aquatic pathogens (Rasch et al. 2004).
Therefore, any interference with the autoinducer mediated QS mechanism would be
the suitable alternative treatment measure to prevent the emerging aquatic bacterial
diseases.