Bactericidal Activity of Coelomic Fluid of the Sea Urchin, Echinus Esculentus, on Different Marine Bacteria

Abstract

Coelomic fluid from the edible sea urchin Echinus esculentus (L.) has in vitro bactericidal activity against the marine pseudomonad, designated strain No. 111 (Wardlaw & Unkles, 1978). This particular bacterial strain was chosen because of its highly characteristic jet-black, agar-digesting colonies on marine agar plates which permitted it to be easily distinguishable from contaminants in bactericidal tests. Bactericidal activity is localised in the cellular components of the coelomic fluid, particularly in the red spherule cells (Messer & Wardlaw, 1980) and is demonstrable in almost all animals tested.