Survival and retention of the probiotic properties of Bacillus sp. strains under marine stress starvation conditions and their potential use as a probiotic in Artemia culture

The probiotic properties of Bacillus strains isolated from Artemia culture and the effect of marine stress on viability and survival were investigated, as well as the changes occurring in their properties. Analyses showed that these bacteria corresponded to the genus Bacillus sp. Antagonism and adherence assays revealed that Bacillus strains have an inhibitory effect against tested pathogenic bacteria and are fairly adherent. Normal and starved cells showed different enzymatic profiles. Challenge tests performed with Artemia larvae provided evidence that the tested Bacillus strains were neither pathogenic nor toxic to the host and conferred protection for Artemia culture against pathogens. The tested strains maintained their viability and their probiotic properties during the period of study. The results suggest that the tested strains have suffered changes allowing them to survive in seawater in the absence of nutrients and outside their natural host, identifying them as potential probiotic candidates for Artemia culture.