In vitro study of antibacterial activities of ethanol, methanol and acetone extracts from sea cucumber Holothuria parva

Sea cucumbers are the most important medicinal group among echinoderms. The presence of a wide range of natural bioactive compounds from sea cucumbers has been confirmed in many studies. This study was aimed to evaluate the antibacterial activities of ethanol, methanol and acetone extracts from sea cucumber Holothuria parva. The sea cucumbers were collected during the low tide from Ola village, Bushehr, Iran. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimal Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) of the extracts were determined against five human pathogens. The different components in H. parva were determined by FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) method. All of the crude extracts were shown antimicrobial activity against E. coli, P. aeroginosa, and E. fecalis. Also, methanol and ethanol extracts had inhibitory and bactericidal activities on the growth of the tested bacteria, respectively (p<0.05). The FTIR spectra showed the presence of five components such as glycerol, gluconic acid, ouabain, spectinomycin and capreomycin in Holothuria parva. Our results showed that sea cucumber could be an appropriate marine source for antimicrobial compounds. Further, in vivo investigations need to be carried out to determine its potential application in other aspects of medicine.