SREL Reprint #2881
Inhibition of Growth for Select Gram-Negative Bacteria by Tricaine Methane Sulfonate (MS-222)
Luke A. Fedewa and Angela Lindell
University of Georgia, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken, South Carolina, 29802 USA
Abstract:
Tricaine methane sulfonate (MS-222 or Tricaine) is a commonly
used agent for anesthesia
and euthanasia in aquatic organisms. Bacterial diseases are routinely
discovered in captive aquatic vertebrates, and bacterial culture is often
performed to identify potential pathogens. Currently, no study has evaluated
the effect of MS-222 on bacterial isolation from the aquatic environment.
Minimum inhibitory concentration tests using a gradient of MS-222 were
performed for 11 species of Gram-negative bacteria isolated from aquatic
environments. MS-222 inhibited the growth of all bacterial species at
5000 mg/L, while bacterial growth was depressed at MS-222 concentrations
as low as 200 mg/L. Based on these findings, special care should be taken
when interpreting the results of bacterial culture when MS-222 is used
to anesthetize or euthanize fish or amphibians.
Keywords: tricaine methane sulfonate, bacteria, euthanasia, MS-222, minimum inhibitory concentration, anesthesia
SREL Reprint #2881
Fedewa, L. A. and A. H. Lindell. 2005. Inhibition of growth for select gram-negative bacteria by tricaine methane sulfonate (MS-222). Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery 15:13-17.