Effects of Ciliate Infection on the Activities of Two Antioxidant Enzymes (SOD and CAT) in Captive Coral (Goniopora columna) and Evaluation of Drug Therapy

Abstract

Ciliate infection is a serious parasitic disease of coral. Infected coral rots and dies in a short time. In addition to killing corals by infecting them in the oceans, ciliate infection also poses a threat to corals farmed on a large scale. In this study, two antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT) were used to judge the stress response in Goniopora columna after infection, and KCl and H2O2 were used to evaluate the therapeutic effect. The results showed that SOD and CAT increased during the early stage of infection but decreased with the extension of infection time. In terms of drug therapy, it was found that the treatment of ciliate infection with 1.5% of KCl had no significant effect on SOD and CAT of G. columna. The morphological changes of zooxanthellae, chlorophyll a, and coral were not significant. H2O2 leads to a stress response and polyp contraction. In conclusion, 1.5% of KCl can be used in the selection of drugs to treat ciliate infection.

Evaluation of Clove Extract for Drug Therapy of Ciliate Infection in Coral (Goniopora columna)

“…The BJS, BrB, and WS diseases are all caused by ciliate infection, and the infected coral tissues become pathological and produce a characteristic jelly-like substance [ 8 , 9 ]. Coral infection with ciliate disease will cause tissue bleaching and ulceration at the initial stage, which has a high mortality rate [ 10 ]. In addition, due to the booming global aquarium ornamental trade in recent years, corals infected with ciliates may also be transported to aquariums around the world [ 10 ].…”

“…Coral infection with ciliate disease will cause tissue bleaching and ulceration at the initial stage, which has a high mortality rate [ 10 ]. In addition, due to the booming global aquarium ornamental trade in recent years, corals infected with ciliates may also be transported to aquariums around the world [ 10 ]. This may cause the spread of ciliate infections to accelerate, and effective prevention and treatment will curb the threat of ciliates to corals.…”

“…After infection, it will cause corals to die quickly. Its treatment and prevention are very important [ 10 ]. Sweet and Séré, (2016) found that corals infected with ciliates ( P. lucinda ) die within 24 h [ 16 ].…”

“…Page and Willis found that the Acropora muricata tissue ulceration rate after P. lucinda infection is ~2 mm/day, which means the coral will die shortly after infection [ 17 ]. Coral infection by P. lucinda will cause coral bleaching and death within 72 h [ 10 ]. Previous research mainly focused on the investigation of diseases in wild corals.…”

“…The defense mechanism of cells against the formation of oxygen radicals involves enzymes such as SOD and CAT to act in concert to inactivate superoxide radicals and hydrogen peroxide. This prevents the formation of the most reactive form of ROS, the hydroxyl radical, and subsequent cellular damage [ 10 , 31 ]. SOD catalyzes the dismutation of superoxide into oxygen and hydrogen peroxide, and CAT is responsible for inactivating hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen [ 10 ].…”