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. 2023 Mar 18:1–17. Online ahead of print. doi: 10.1007/s12602-023-10053-x

Table 1.

Mechanisms of action demonstrated by probiotics (except Streptomyces) in aquaculture

Mechanism of action Probiotic strain Host Results References
Stimulation in immune responses/parameters Lactobacillus acidophilus Koi carp (Cyprinus carpio) fingerlings Improved IR and development [38]
Bacillus subtilis and trans-cinnamic acid Rainbow trout (Oncorynchus mykiss) Improved IR and DR against Yersinia ruckeri [39]
Bacillus velezensis V4 Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) juvenile Modulated IP [40]
Disease resistance Bacillus licheniformis Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) Increased resistance against artificially induced pathogenic fish infection [41]
Bacillus subtilis HAINUP40 Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Enhanced GP, IR, and DR [42]
Enterococcus casseliflavus Rainbow trout (Oncorynchus mykiss) Enhanced DR against Streptococcus iniae pathogen [43]
Competitive prohibition of pathogens

Aeromonas sobria GC2

Bacillus sp. JB-1

Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, Walbaum) Proved inhibitory against Aeromonas salmonicida, Lactococcus garvieaeS. iniae, Vibrio anguillarum, V. ordalii, and Y. ruckeri [27]
Bacillus subtilis AB1 Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, Walbaum) Prohibited the virulent Aeromonas sp. [44]
Modification in gut microbiota Bacillus OJ + IMO White shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) Addition in feed altered IM [45]
Arthrobacter XE-7 Pacific white shrimp (L. vannamei) Addition in feed modulated IM and increased resistance against V. parahaemolyticus [46]
Leucosnostoc mensenteroides Penaeus monodon Reduced the growth of pathogenic V. angillarum from hepatopancreas, gut, and intestine [47]
Competition for space/blocking of adhesion sites Bacillus subtilis Indian major carp (Labeo rohita) Efficiently converted OM into nutrients and adhered to the intestine [48]
Lactococcus lactis
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Lactococcus lactis CLFP 101 Rainbow trout (Oncorynchus mykiss) Reduced the adhesion of A. salmonicida, A. hydrophila, Y. ruckeri, and V. anguillarum to intestinal mucus [49]
Lactobacillus plantarum CLFP 238
Lactobacillus fermentum CLFP 242
Stimulation in growth and survival Pseudomonas sp. RGM2144 Rainbow trout (Oncorynchus mykiss) Increased survival to 92.7 ± 1.2% against Flavobacterium psychrophilum challenge [43]
Enterococcus faecium Big-belly seahorse (Hippocampus abdominalis) Enhanced GP and SR against pathogenic Edwardsiella tarda [42]
Enzymatic activities Bacillus subtilis and trans-cinnamic acid Rainbow trout (Oncorynchus mykiss) Produced intestinal amylase enzyme and reduced coliform and Enterobacteriaceae count [50]
Kocuria sp. Rainbow trout (Oncorynchus mykiss) Produced EEs to inhibit the growth of V. anguillarum, V. ordalii, E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus [51]
Rhodococcus sp.
Bioremediation Commercial Bacillus megaterium Major carps (Cirrihinus nrigala, Labeo rohita and Catla catla) Showed significant effect on BOD, DO, COD, TDS, ammonia, alkalinity, and pH [52]
Limosilactobacillus fermentum In vitro experiment Elevated arsenic-, cadmium-, and lead-resistant patterns and exhibited excellent arsenic removal efficiencies [53]
B. velezensis AP193 Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) Significantly improved WQ by reducing TP (19%), TN (43%) and nitrate (75%) [54]
Disruption of quorum sensing/ antibiofilm activity Bacillus sp. QSI-1 Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Efficiently disrupted QS-mediated virulence factors and attenuated biofilm formation of the fish pathogen A. hydrophila [55]
Pheaobacter inhibens S4Sm In vitro experiment Produced N-AHL against oyster pathogen V. coralliilyticus and disrupted QS pathway that activates protease transcription of V. coralliilyticus [56]
Bacillus sp. YB1701 Gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio) Significant QQ of the fish pathogen A. hydrophila [57]
Antiviral/antifungal activity Bacillus OJ + IMO White shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) Reduced mortalities of shrimp challenged with WSSV [45]
Pseudomonas species M162 Rainbow trout (Oncorynchus mykiss) Improved IR against saprolegniasis [58]
Pseudomonas species M174
Janthinobacterium species M169

IR immune response, IP immune parameters, GP growth performance, DR disease resistance, IMO isomaltooligosaccharide, IM intestinal microbiota, OM organic matter, SR survival rate, EEs extracellular enzymes, BOD biological oxygen demand, DO dissolved oxygen, COD chemical oxygen demand, TDS total dissolved solids, WQ water quality, TP total phosphorus, TN total nitrogen, QS quorum sensing, QQ quorum quenching, WSSV white spot syndrome virus, N-AHL N- acyl homoserine lactone