Probiotic Bacillus subtilis dose impacts shrimp survival and organ damage during Vibrio infection.

What is it about?

Why This Study Matters: Shrimp farming frequently faces significant economic losses due to bacterial diseases, especially from Vibrio species. Current solutions often involve antibiotics, which can have environmental drawbacks. This research explores a sustainable alternative: using a "good" probiotic bacteria, Bacillus subtilis ssp. spizizenii, to protect shrimp from infections. What We Did: We fed Pacific white shrimp diets supplemented with different amounts of Bacillus subtilis ssp. spizizenii for four weeks. One group received no probiotic (control), while others received increasing concentrations. Following this, all shrimp were challenged with a harmful Vibrio alginolyticus bacterium to simulate an infection. We then measured their survival rates and examined their hepatopancreas (a vital digestive and immune organ) for signs of damage and bacterial presence. Key Findings: Our results showed that increasing the probiotic in the feed dramatically improved shrimp health. - Increased Survival: Shrimp receiving the highest probiotic dose achieved 93% survival after infection, compared to only 61.3% in the control group. - Reduced Pathogens: Higher probiotic levels were directly linked to a significant decrease in the amount of harmful Vibrio alginolyticus found in the shrimp's hepatopancreas. - Less Organ Damage: Histological analysis confirmed that shrimp with higher probiotic supplementation experienced minimal damage to their hepatopancreas, while the control group suffered severe lesions

Featured Image

Photo by James Tiono on Unsplash

Photo by James Tiono on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This research is crucial for sustainable shrimp farming, demonstrating how Bacillus subtilis ssp. spizizenii improves survival and reduces organ damage from Vibrio infections, offering an antibiotic alternative.

Perspectives