RESEARCH PROGRAMME Project title: Immunological, hematological and biochemical responses in common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) following Aeromonas hydrophila infection and herbals treatment

(a) Project Summary Fishery has been recognized as a powerful income and employment generation source as it stimulates growth of a number of subsidiary industries and is a source of cheap animal protein. Fish diseases, however, are one of the major limiting factors in aquaculture production, especially with the recent increase of aquaculture practices in rural areas. Rural small-scale aquaculture is the extensive or semi-intensive low cost farming. The diseases caused by bacteria particularly genus Aeromonas and some other bacteria like Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus etc. are epizootic ulcerative syndrome (EUS) and hemorrhagic septicemia. Motile aeromonads were reported as most important bacteria among the etiological agents of EUS and hemorrhagic septicemia in a variety of fishes throughout world. Aeromonas hydrophila, A. bestiarum, A. salmonicida, A. veronii, A. cavine and A. jandaei have been reported as causative pathogens in various fish species like common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.), rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, catla (Catla-catla), grasscarp (Ctenopharygodon idella), silver carp, bighead, golden carp, Chinese' bream and other fish species. Antibiotics have made a tremendous contribution to the profitability of the fish industry. However, as a consequence of the increasing concern about the potential public health problems due to antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria, fish nutritionists are being challenged to develop an alternative for antibiotics. The herbal drugs have been in common use as a cure of many diseases and there is sufficient mention about their use in our ancient Ayurvedic literature. Charka Samhita (1000 B.C.) the earliest treatises of Indian medicine mention the use of over 2000 herbs for medicinal purpose. If herbal alternative to antibiotics can be found, fish nutritionists could formulate a diet that would meet the needs of the commercial fish industry without using antibiotics. Keeping these points in view this research programme will be able to make alternates to antibiotics to cure fish bacterial diseases by using immune enhancers. I will select traditional Indian herbs (viz. neem, tulsi, turmeric, garlic etc.) and one bacterial pathogen Aeromonas hydrophila for this investigation. These herbs are incorporated in fish diet and then infected with same pathogen. The economics of herbal visa-vis antibiotics was also studied and found that use of herbs instead of antibiotics is more economical as compare to antibiotics. It was observed and found that herbs are immuno enhancers, which make the fish more resistant against the infection of A. hydrophila. There are thousands of herbs present in our environment which are easily available and more economical as compare to antibiotics. There is no residual effect of herbs in food chain also. If these types of practices are applied in fields regularly then we hope this environment will free from antibiotics residual effect. Considering the above facts in view the present investigation will be proposed.