Characterization of Enterococcus hirae Isolated from the Intestine of Seabass (Lates Calcarifer) as a New Potential Probiotic against Pathogenic Vibrios

Bacterial diseases of Asian sea bass (Lates calcarifer): A review for health management strategies and future aquaculture sustainability

The advent of aquaculture has been one of the most significant shifts in world food supply during the last century. Aquaculture has rapidly expanded and become a global food industry, spurred by population expansion, increased seafood consumption, and decreased captured fisheries. Nonetheless, the exponential growth of aquaculture has emerged as a significant contributor to anthropogenic changes. Unexpectedly, the result has focused in the emergence and spread of new diseases. The Asian sea bass (Lates calcarifer) is an economically important species in aquaculture, contributing significantly to the global seafood market. However, bacterial diseases have emerged as a major concern, affecting both wild and cultured populations of this species. The most prevalent bacterial pathogens are streptococcus, vibriosis, nocardiosis, tenacibaculosis, and pot-belly disease. Therefore, this review aims to comprehensively analyze both emerging and non-emerging bacterial diseases affecting L. calcarifer and explore potential management approaches for their control. Through an extensive literature survey and critical evaluation of research findings, this review highlights the current understanding of bacterial diseases in L. calcarifer and proposes strategies for better disease management. In addition, this review looks at the rise and characteristics of aquaculture, the major bacterial pathogens of L. calcarifer and their effects, and the specific attributes of disease emergence in an aquatic rather than terrestrial context. It also considers the potential for future disease emergence in L. calcarifer due to aquaculture expansion and climate changes.

Randomized placebo-controlled trial of feline-origin Enterococcus hirae probiotic effects on preventative health and fecal microbiota composition of fostered shelter kittens

INTRODUCTION

Diarrhea is the second most common cause of mortality in shelter kittens. Studies examining prevention strategies in this population are lacking. Probiotics are of particular interest but studies in cats are largely limited to healthy adults or those with induced disease. Only one study in domestic cats describes the use of host-derived bacteria as a probiotic. We previously identified Enterococcus hirae as a dominant species colonizing the small intestinal mucosa in healthy shelter kittens. Oral administration of a probiotic formulation of kitten-origin E. hirae (strain 1002-2) mitigated the increase in intestinal permeability and fecal water loss resulting from experimental enteropathogenic E. coli infection in purpose-bred kittens. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that administration of kitten-origin E. hirae to weaned fostered shelter kittens could provide a measurable preventative health benefit.

METHODS

We conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled, blinded clinical trial to determine the impact of a freeze-dried E. hirae probiotic on body weight gain, incidence of diarrhea, carriage of potential diarrheal pathogens, and composition of the intestinal microbiota in weaned fostered shelter kittens.

RESULTS

One-hundred thirty kittens completed the study. Fifty-eight kittens received the probiotic and 72 received the placebo. There were no significant differences in age, weight upon initiation of the study, number of days in the study, average daily gain in body weight, or weight at completion of the study. Kittens treated with E. hirae were 3.4 times less likely to develop diarrhea compared to kittens treated with placebo (odds ratio = 0.294, 95% CI 0.109-0.792, p = 0.022). A significant impact of E. hirae was not observed on the presence or abundance of 30 different bacterial, viral, protozoal, fungal, algal, and parasitic agents in feces examined by qPCR. With exception to a decrease in Megamonas, administration of the E. hirae probiotic did not alter the predominant bacterial phyla present in feces based on 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing.

DISCUSSION

Decreased incidence of diarrhea associated with preventative administration of E. hirae to foster kittens supports a rationale for use of E. hirae for disease prevention in this young population at high risk for intestinal disease though additional studies are warranted.

Efficacy of Single and Multi-Strain Probiotics on In Vitro Strain Compatibility, Pathogen Inhibition, Biofilm Formation Capability, and Stress Tolerance

Compatibility of each strain in a multi-strain probiotic (MSP), along with its properties, becomes a strong base for its formulation. In this study, single-strain probiotics (SSPs) and multi-strain probiotics (MSPs) were evaluated in vitro for strain compatibility, microbial antagonism, biofilm formation capacity, and stress tolerance. Bacillus amyloliquefaciens L11, Enterococcus hirae LAB3, and Lysinibacillus fusiformis SPS11 were chosen as MSP1 candidates because they showed much stronger antagonism to Aeromonas hydrophila and Streptococcus agalactiae than a single probiotic. MSP 2 candidates were Lysinibacillus fusiformis strains SPS11, A1, and Lysinibacillus sphaericus strain NAS32 because the inhibition zone produced by MSP 2 against Vibrio harveyi and Vibrio parahaemolyticus was much higher than that produced by its constituent SSPs. MSP1 in the co-culture assay reduced (p < 0.05) A. hydrophila count from 9.89 ± 0.1 CFU mL−1 to 2.14 ± 0.2 CFU mL−1. The biofilm formation of both MSPs were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than its constituent SSPs and the pathogens. The SSPs in both MSPs generally showed resistance to high temperatures (80, 90, and 100 °C) and a wide range of pH (2 to 9). This in vitro assessment study demonstrates that MSP1 and 2 have the potential to be further explored as multi-strain probiotics on selected aquatic species.

Effects of dietary Astragalus polysaccharides on growth, health and resistance to Vibrio harveyi of Lates calcarifer

It is generally accepted that Astragalus polysaccharides (APS) supplementation can makes beneficial effects to fish. However, the adverse effects of APS to fish remains poorly understood. In the present study, Asian seabass Lates calcarifer were studied to assess the influence of different doses of APS on growth, health and resistance to Vibrio harveyi. Results showed that supplemental APS with 0.10 to 0.20% significantly boosted the growth performance, the protease and lipase activities of L. calcarifer. Compared with control diet, the villus length of L. calcarifer fed with APS supplemented diets was significantly higher. L. calcarifer fed with APS supplementation diets also significantly facilitated the antioxidant capacity and immune function. Meanwhile, supplemental APS with 0.10 to 0.15% significantly promoted liver health by up-regulating the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines and down-regulating the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, survival rate of L. calcarifer challenged with V. harveyi was higher in diets supplemented with APS compared to the control. However, 0.20% APS significantly hindered the growth performance and caused immunostimulatory fatigue in L. calcarifer compared to 0.10% APS. Taken together, the present study demonstrates that supplementation APS with 0.10% is the optimal level for promoting the growth performance, health and resistance to V. harveyi of L. calcarifer, while 0.20% APS exerts adverse effects on L. calcarifer. Our findings provide novel recommendations for the application of APS supplementation in farmed fish.

Effects of Probiotics on Growth, Survival, Water Quality and Disease Resistance of Red Hybrid Tilapia (Oreochromis spp.) Fingerlings in a Biofloc System

Simple Summary

Streptococcosis, a warm-water pathogenic bacteria, has greatly affected red hybrid tilapia production in Malaysia over the years, causing mass mortality in various culture systems. Probiotics have been used to treat and prevent bacterial diseases, including streptococcosis, yet they require constant application to ensure that their concentration is adequate. Incorporating probiotics in a biofloc system may reduce this issue as the effective microorganism may further flourish and be utilized by the fish. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the influence of probiotic addition on the growth performance and water quality of red hybrid tilapia. From the study, it was observed that a probiotic mix was able to inhibit Streptococcus spp., improve red hybrid tilapia performance and disease resistance against streptococcosis. Providing a beneficial mix of probiotics can effectively improve biofloc culture in red hybrid tilapia culture.

Abstract

Biofloc technology has shown positive effects in aquaculture, especially on the growth performance of cultured animals. The aims of this study were to evaluate the effects of adding different probiotic strains in a biofloc system on the growth performance and disease resistance of red hybrid tilapia (Oreochromis spp.). Three different probiotics (Lysinibacillus fusiformis SPS11, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens L9, and Enterococcus hirae LAB3), commercial probiotics (MG1) and a mixed probiotics (MP) combining all three strains were used in this study. The in vitro assay results showed that the mixed probiotic (MP) was able to inhibit the growth of Streptococcus agalactiae and Streptococcus iniae significantly compared to the single and commercial probiotic. The efficacy of MP was further tested in in vivo tilapia culture challenged with S. agalactiae. The best specific growth rate (3.73 ± 0.23% day⁻¹) and feed conversion ratio (0.76 ± 0.04) were recorded in the group of biofloc with addition of MP. After being challenged with S. agalactiae, the group of biofloc with MP had significantly higher survival (83 ± 1.43%) compared to the other groups. Furthermore, the nitrogen concentration (NO₂-N and NH₄-N) was significantly lower in all the biofloc groups compared to the control. Hence, the addition of probiotics was able to provide beneficial effects to red hybrid tilapia culture in the biofloc system.