Probiotic properties of Lactobacillus spp. from Lake Victoria as potential feed supplement in aquaponic production system

The increasing reliance on antimicrobials in aquaculture to manage fish diseases has contributed to the spread of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens, necessitating alternative solutions. Probiotics are live microorganisms that confer health benefits, have emerged as a promising strategy to enhance fi...

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Main Authors: TyNiah Dates, Loretta Harrison, Cersey Ochieng Onyango, Lucy Aketch Wanga, Oscar Omondi Donde, Anne Osano, Joshua Ogendo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:The Microbe
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950194625001487
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author TyNiah Dates
Loretta Harrison
Cersey Ochieng Onyango
Lucy Aketch Wanga
Oscar Omondi Donde
Anne Osano
Joshua Ogendo
author_facet TyNiah Dates
Loretta Harrison
Cersey Ochieng Onyango
Lucy Aketch Wanga
Oscar Omondi Donde
Anne Osano
Joshua Ogendo
author_sort TyNiah Dates
collection DOAJ
description The increasing reliance on antimicrobials in aquaculture to manage fish diseases has contributed to the spread of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens, necessitating alternative solutions. Probiotics are live microorganisms that confer health benefits, have emerged as a promising strategy to enhance fish health, digestion, and environmental sustainability. However, many probiotic applications in aquaculture utilize terrestrial-derived strains, despite the advantages of host-specific probiotics adapted to aquatic environments. This study aimed to isolate and evaluate the probiotic potential of Lactobacillus species from the water, sediments, skin, gills, and intestines of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) from the Nyanza Gulf of Lake Victoria. Samples were collected from both cage-cultured and free-range fish, and bacterial isolation was conducted using De Man- Rogosa- Sharpe (MRS) agar, followed by morphological and biochemical characterization. The isolates were assessed for probiotic attributes, including acid and salt tolerance, and antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus using the disc diffusion method. Ten Lactobacillus isolates were identified, all exhibiting gram-positive characteristics and catalase negativity. Most isolates showed high acid tolerance, maintaining over 70 % viability at pH 3.0, and demonstrated resilience to high salt concentrations (4.5 % and 6.5 %). Antimicrobial assays revealed that isolate 1 exhibited the strongest inhibitory effects. These findings suggest that Lactobacillus isolates from Nile tilapia possess promising probiotic properties and could serve as effective feed supplements in aquaponics and sustainable aquaculture. Further in vivo studies are recommended to evaluate their efficacy in improving fish health and growth.
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spelling doaj-art-e4d30b4363824b529e85ed3544333a2d2025-08-20T03:49:41ZengElsevierThe Microbe2950-19462025-06-01710038010.1016/j.microb.2025.100380Probiotic properties of Lactobacillus spp. from Lake Victoria as potential feed supplement in aquaponic production systemTyNiah Dates0Loretta Harrison1Cersey Ochieng Onyango2Lucy Aketch Wanga3Oscar Omondi Donde4Anne Osano5Joshua Ogendo6Department of Natural Sciences, Bowie State University, Bowie, MD, USADepartment of Natural Sciences, Bowie State University, Bowie, MD, USADepartment of Environmental Science, Egerton University, P.O. Box 536, Egerton 20115, KenyaDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, P.O. Box 536-20115, Egerton, KenyaDepartment of Environmental Science, Egerton University, P.O. Box 536, Egerton 20115, Kenya; Corresponding author.Department of Natural Sciences, Bowie State University, Bowie, MD, USADepartment of Crop, Horticulture and Soils, P.O. Box 536-20115, Egerton, KenyaThe increasing reliance on antimicrobials in aquaculture to manage fish diseases has contributed to the spread of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens, necessitating alternative solutions. Probiotics are live microorganisms that confer health benefits, have emerged as a promising strategy to enhance fish health, digestion, and environmental sustainability. However, many probiotic applications in aquaculture utilize terrestrial-derived strains, despite the advantages of host-specific probiotics adapted to aquatic environments. This study aimed to isolate and evaluate the probiotic potential of Lactobacillus species from the water, sediments, skin, gills, and intestines of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) from the Nyanza Gulf of Lake Victoria. Samples were collected from both cage-cultured and free-range fish, and bacterial isolation was conducted using De Man- Rogosa- Sharpe (MRS) agar, followed by morphological and biochemical characterization. The isolates were assessed for probiotic attributes, including acid and salt tolerance, and antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus using the disc diffusion method. Ten Lactobacillus isolates were identified, all exhibiting gram-positive characteristics and catalase negativity. Most isolates showed high acid tolerance, maintaining over 70 % viability at pH 3.0, and demonstrated resilience to high salt concentrations (4.5 % and 6.5 %). Antimicrobial assays revealed that isolate 1 exhibited the strongest inhibitory effects. These findings suggest that Lactobacillus isolates from Nile tilapia possess promising probiotic properties and could serve as effective feed supplements in aquaponics and sustainable aquaculture. Further in vivo studies are recommended to evaluate their efficacy in improving fish health and growth.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950194625001487Aquaponics, Lactobacillus sppLake VictoriaProbiotic propertiesTilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)
spellingShingle TyNiah Dates
Loretta Harrison
Cersey Ochieng Onyango
Lucy Aketch Wanga
Oscar Omondi Donde
Anne Osano
Joshua Ogendo
Probiotic properties of Lactobacillus spp. from Lake Victoria as potential feed supplement in aquaponic production system
The Microbe
Aquaponics, Lactobacillus spp
Lake Victoria
Probiotic properties
Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)
title Probiotic properties of Lactobacillus spp. from Lake Victoria as potential feed supplement in aquaponic production system
title_full Probiotic properties of Lactobacillus spp. from Lake Victoria as potential feed supplement in aquaponic production system
title_fullStr Probiotic properties of Lactobacillus spp. from Lake Victoria as potential feed supplement in aquaponic production system
title_full_unstemmed Probiotic properties of Lactobacillus spp. from Lake Victoria as potential feed supplement in aquaponic production system
title_short Probiotic properties of Lactobacillus spp. from Lake Victoria as potential feed supplement in aquaponic production system
title_sort probiotic properties of lactobacillus spp from lake victoria as potential feed supplement in aquaponic production system
topic Aquaponics, Lactobacillus spp
Lake Victoria
Probiotic properties
Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950194625001487
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