In Vitro Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activity of Cat Fish Slime Mucin on Selected Micro-organisms by Agar Diffusion Method

Treatments of bacterial infections have become a difficult task in the medical practice due to high level of resistance to the existing marketed antibiotics. This problem evoked us to search for new antimicrobial agent for better management of bacterial infections. The present study was carried out to evaluate antimicrobial properties of epidermal mucus (soluble mucin or s-mucin). s-mucin was extracted using cold precipitation method and its antimicrobial properties were tested against four pathogenic bacteria at different concentrations. Results showed smucin have remarkable antimicrobial activity. Particularly, s-mucin was more effective against Staphylococcus aureus and Eschericia coli than Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella typhi. Its activity was comparatively better than the reference drug. Thus, s-mucin from cat fish’s mucus may serve as a remedy to the current antibiotics failure. Its formulation into pharmaceutical preparation is therefore, encouraged after further in vivo evaluation.