<![CDATA[Red dragon fruit peel is a natural material with antibacterial and antifungal properties, owing to its active compounds, including alkaloids, flavonoids, niacin, tannins, and vitamin C. These compounds can inhibit the growth of Aeromonas hydrophila and enhance fish immunity. This research was carried out from January to August 2025 at the Parasite and Fish Disease Laboratory, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Universitas Riau. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of red dragon fruit peel solution (Hylocereus polyrhizus) in preventing Aeromoniasis in striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus). The experiment used a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with five treatments and three replications. Treatments consisted of KN: negative control (without immersion and not infected with A. hydrophila), KP: positive control (without immersion and infected with A. hydrophila), P1 (immersion at 1 ml/L and infected), P2 (immersion at 1.5 mL/L and infected), and P3 (immersion at 2 ml/L and infected). Fish were immersed in the peel solution for 30 minutes daily for three consecutive days. Blood sampling was conducted at the beginning of maintenance, on the 30th day, and on the 14th day after infection. The findings indicated that the best dose was P2 (1.5 mL/L), producing a total erythrocyte count of (291.40×10⁴ cells/mm³), hematocrit (37.66%), haemoglobin (9.43 g/dL), leukocyte count of (10.57×10⁴ cells/mm³), phagocytic activity of (32.00%), and survival rate of (92.33%). Water quality parameters remained within optimal ranges: temperature 26.8–28°C, pH 5.5–6.9, and dissolved oxygen (DO) 3.9–5.8 mg/L. These findings suggest that red dragon fruit peel extract at 1.5 ml/L has potential as a natural immunostimulant to prevent Aeromoniasis in P. hypophthalmus.]]>
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