Abstract:
This study was conducted in advance to isolate, screen and characterize marine
bacteria from specified species of sea cucumber which possess antimicrobial
properties. The source of marine bacteria in this study is from the stomach and body
cavity of each sea cucumber's species which was collected in Bidong water. Four
initial bacteria plates were prepared from the samples and it was maintained and
cultured in SW A agar. A total of 228 pure colonies bacteria were isolated but only
approximately 100 bacteria was used for further study. Only 73 bacteria were
successfully maintained and transferred to MNA agar a week before screening. The
method used for the screening was Modified Agar Disc Diffusion Method where the
cultured bacteria were transferred onto target bacteria agar and the activity was
observed in 24 hour incubation. There are six target bacteria used in this study
which are Aeromonas hydrophila, Bacillus subtillis, Candida albicans, Klebsiella
pneumoniae, Streptococcus agalactia, and Staphylococcus aureus. 62 bacteria show
positive bioactivites but 3 were unable to be maintained for biochemical test. There
were 40 gram negative bacteria with only 2 oxidase negative bacteria and the other
38 was oxidase positive. These bacteria were characterized and identified by using
API 20E and API 20NE respectively. The oxidase negative gram negative bacteria
were both identified as S. maltophilia. The oxidase positive bacteria identified
comprise of Acinetobacter sp.(l ), Aeromonas sp.(4), Burkholderia sp.(4),
Chryseobacterium sp.(1 ), Pseudomonas sp.(2), Stenotrophomonas sp.(2), Vibrio
sp.(21) and 3 unidentified species.All 19 gram positive tested were rods. From
selected biochemical tests done, bacteria were identified from the Corynebacterium
sp.(9) and Bscillus sp.(l 0).
