The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a probiotic (Lactobacillus plantarum) supplemented diet on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in a polyculture system with marine shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) as regards culture performance, hematology, and gut bacterial microbiota. Ten 20-m² pens were arranged in one earthen pond and stocked with 2 fish (41.9 g) m(-2) and 10 shrimp (2.3 g) m(-2), in total of 40 Nile tilapias and 200 shrimp per experimental unit. Tilapia groups in five of the experimental units were fed a commercial diet supplemented with L. plantarum and the other five with an unsupplemented commercial diet (control). After 12 weeks of culture, the tilapia groups fed the probiotic-supplemented diet presented values 13.6, 7.5, and 7.1% higher for feed efficiency, yield, and final weight, respectively. Viable culturable heterotrophic bacteria counts were reduced, and the number of lactic acid bacteria was increased in the gut of fish and shrimp fed the probiotic-supplemented diet. Hematological analyses showed higher number of thrombocytes and leukocytes in tilapia fed the supplemented diet. L. plantarum utilized in this study colonized the gut of tilapia and shrimp and resulted in reduced number of total bacteria and increased tilapia final weight and feed efficiency.

The dietary supplementation of prebiotics, probiotics and symbiotic in hybrid surubins (a Pseudoplatystoma corruscans and P. fasciatum cross) was evaluated for the effects on their autochthonous intestinal microbiota and on haematological and immunological parameters. A total of 160 fish were divided into four treatment groups with four replicates each. The treatment groups were fed with the following diets for 15 days: control diet without supplementation; 0.5% inulin (prebiotic) supplementation; Weissella cibaria (CPQBA 001-10 DRM 02) (7.87 ± 0.2 log CFU g )1 ) supplementation; or 0.5% inulin and W. cibaria supplementation (symbiotic group). The midgut intestines of the fish with the symbiotic diet supplementation had higher concentrations of lactic acid bacteria (7.07 ± 1.11 log CFU g )1 ) and low levels of Vibrio spp (1.90 ± 0.60 log CFU g )1 ) and Pseudomonas spp (2.23 ± 1.48 log CFU g )1 ). In addition, increased erythrocytes and reduced circulating neutrophils were observed in this group. No differences in blood glucose, serum protein or lysozyme levels were detected between treatment groups. However, a higher concentration of total immunoglobulin was observed in fish fed with the probiotic and symbiotic diets. The addition of 0.5% inulin (prebiotic) thus W. cibaria (probiotic) to the diet of Pseudoplatystoma hybrid surubins reduce the number of pathogenic bacteria and stimulate the beneficial intestinal microbiota and may possibly alter their immune defence system.

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7 formalin-inactivated bacteria·mL -1 , for 20 minutes. Vaccinated fish groups presented higher hematocrit, number of erythrocytes and leukocytes than the non-vaccinated group. Serum agglutination titer of intraperitoneally vaccinated fish was higher on both evaluation periods for the three bacteria strains. Only on day 21 post-vaccination fish from the oral and immersion vaccination groups presented higher serum agglutination titer than the non-vaccinated fish for A. hidrophyla and E. durans. Serum antimicrobial activity in vaccinated fish was higher for P. aeroginosa and E. coli than in non-vaccinated fish on both evaluation periods. The different vaccine administration routes stimulated hematological and immunological responses in Nile tilapia 21 days post-vaccination, but intraperitoneal vaccination presented higher total number of leukocytes, lymphocytes and serum agglutination titer.

This

-The objective of this work was to assess the time-related action of probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum in the bacterial microbiota of the digestive tract of Litopenaeus vannamei, and the relation of total haemocyte count and serum phenol oxidase activity of shrimp challenged with Vibrio harveyi. Shrimps were fed with a probiotic-supplemented diet, for eight days, then shifted to a commercial diet. Shrimps fed only with the commercial diet served as control. Evaluations were made on the 8 th day of experiment and repeated two, four, six and eight days later. Total lactic bacteria in the digestive tract was higher until the 4 th day of evaluation in the probioticsupplemented group. Vibrio spp. counts were higher in the control at days zero and two. Until the 4 th day of evaluation, the total haemocyte counts in shrimps after challenge with V. harveyi were higher in probioticsupplemented group than in control group. Significant difference was not observed in phenol oxidase activity. On the 6 th day after shifting from supplemented to control diet, all parameters were equal in both groups, suggesting that the time-related action of L. plantarum in shrimp is short.Index terms: Litopenaeus vannamei, Vibrio harveyi, total haemocyte count, lactic bacteria, phenol oxidase, probiotic. Tempo de atuação de Lactobacillus plantarum na microbiota bacteriana intestinal de camarão e sua ação como imunoestimulanteResumo -O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o tempo de atuação de Lactobacillus plantarum, na microbiota bacteriana intestinal de Litopenaeus vannamei, e sua relação com a contagem total de hemócitos e a atividade da fenoloxidase após a exposição a Vibrio harveyi. Os camarões foram alimentados com dieta suplementada com probióticos por oito dias e, depois, substituída por dieta comercial. Os camarões alimentados com dieta comercial constituíram o controle. As avaliações foram realizadas no oitavo dia de experimento e repetidas dois, quatro, seis e oito dias depois. A contagem total de bactérias lácticas no intestino foi maior até o quarto dia de avaliação, no grupo alimentado com probióticos. A contagem de Vibrio spp. foi superior no grupo controle nos dias zero e dois. Até o quarto dia, a contagem total de hemócitos dos camarões após a inoculação de V. harveyi foi superior no grupo alimentado com probiótico em relação ao grupo controle. Não foi observada diferença na atividade da fenoloxidase. No sexto dia, após a substituição da dieta suplementada com probióticos por dieta controle, todos os parâmetros avaliados foram iguais nos dois grupos, o que indica que o tempo de atuação de L. plantarum em camarões é curto.Termos para indexação: Litopenaeus vannamei, Vibrio harveyi, contagem total de hemócitos, bactérias lácticas, fenoloxidase, probiótico.

Resumo -O objetivo deste trabalho foi isolar bactérias ácido-lácticas do intestino de tilápias-do-nilo, e avaliar seu potencial probiótico. Foram isoladas cepas de bactérias ácido-lácticas, e foi avaliada a inibição aos patógenos in vitro. As cepas com os melhores resultados foram identificadas e utilizadas no experimento de colonização do trato intestinal de tilápias-do-nilo, via suplementação na dieta, em delineamento inteiramente ao acaso, com três tratamentos e quatro repetições. Foram avaliados: o total de bactérias, as bactérias ácido-lácticas, Vibrio ssp. e Pseudomonas ssp. A cepa com melhor resultado foi utilizada na infecção experimental, em delineamento inteiramente ao acaso, em esquema fatorial 2x3: dieta suplementada com a cepa e dietacontrole; e os peixes não submetidos à injeção, peixes submetidos à injeção de solução salina e à injeção de Enterococcus durans, com três repetições. Foram avaliados os parâmetros hematológicos. As duas cepas identificadas foram: Lactobacillus plantarum e Lactobacillus brevis, que colonizaram o trato intestinal de tilápias, contudo L. plantarum teve menor número total de bactérias e de Pseudomonas ssp. Foi observado maior número total de eritrócitos, trombócitos, leucócitos, linfócitos, neutrófilos e monócitos, em peixes alimentados com L. plantarum e submetidos à injeção de E. durans. O L. plantarum tem efeito probiótico e melhora o sistema imune das tilápias.Termos para indexação: Enterococcus durans, Lactobacillus plantarum, Oreochromis niloticus, hematologia, infecção experimental. Lactic-acid bacteria isolated from the intestinal tract of Nile tilapia utilized as probioticAbstract -The objective of this work was to isolate lactic-acid bacteria from the intestines of Nile tilapia, and to assess their potential as probiotic. Strains of lactic-acid bacteria were isolated, and inhibition against pathogens was evaluated in vitro. Strains with best results were identified and used in tilapia intestinal tract colonization experiment through supplementation in the diet, in a completely randomized design, with three treatments and four replicates. Total number bacteria, lactic-acid bacteria, Vibrio ssp. and Pseudomonas ssp. were evaluated. The strain with best result was used for experimental infection, in a completely randomized design, in factorial arrangement 2x3: diet supplemented with strain and control diet; and fish not submitted to injection, fish submitted to injection of saline solution, and fish submitted to injection of Enterococcus durans, with three replicates. Hematological parameters were evaluated. Two strains were identified as Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus brevis, which colonized fishes' intestinal tract. However, L. plantarum had the lowest number of total bacteria and of Pseudomonas ssp. Greater number of red blood cells, thrombocytes, leukocytes, lymphocytes, neutrophils and monocytes were observed in fish fed with L. plantarum and submitted to injection of E. durans. L. plantarum has probiotic effect on Nile tilapias and improve their imm...

The effect of a Lactobacillus plantarum-supplemented diet on shrimp growth, digestive tract bacterial microbiota, survival, and some hemato-immunological parameters after an experimental challenge with Vibrio harveyi was studied. No difference (P>0.05) was observed in shrimp survival (80±6%) and final weight (6.63±0.56g) after 60 days feeding trial. Total bacteria count and Vibrio spp. count in the digestive tract were not diferent (P>0.05) until day 40, but they were lower (P<0.05) in the probiotic-supplemented group on day 60. Total lactic bacteria in the shrimp digestive tract was higher after day 20 in the probiotic-supplemented group. Ten hours after V. harveyi challenge, survival of the probiotic-supplemented group (65.7±2.9%) was higher (P>0.05) than the control group (39.9±4.4%). Bacterial counts in hemolymph and hepatopancreas was lower (P<0.05) in the probiotic-supplemented group than in the control group after V. harveyi challenge. Total hemocyte count and serum agglutination activity were higher (P>0.05) in the probiotic-supplemented group after challenge with V. harveyi. Probiotic-supplemented diet modifies shrimp digestive tract bacterial microbiota, increasing resistance to V. harveyi infection. Keywords: Litopenaeus vannamei, Lactobacillus plantarum, intestinal microbiota, immunostimulation RESUMO Avaliou-se o efeito de uma dieta suplementada com Lactobacillus plantarum na engorda de