Cultivable microbiota of Lithobates catesbeianus and advances in the selection of lactic acid bacteria as biological control agents in raniculture

MONTEL MENDOZA G; PASTERIS, S.E.; ALE C. E; OTERO M. C.; NADER-MACÍAS, ME

RESEARCH IN VETERINARY SCIENCE

ELSEVIER SCI LTD

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2012 vol. 93 p. 1160 - 1167

0034-5288

The cultivable microbiota of skin and cloaca of captive Lithobates catesbeianus includes microorganisms generally accepted as beneficial and potentially pathogenic bacteria. In order to select a group of poten- tially probiotic bacteria, 136 isolates were evaluated for their surface properties and production of antag- onistic metabolites. Then, 11 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains were selected and identified as Lactobacillus plantarum, Lb. brevis, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Lactococcus lactis, L. garvieae and Enterococcus gallinarum. Studies of compatibility indicate that all the strains could be included in a multi-strain probiotic, with the exception of Ent. gallinarum CRL 1826 which inhibited LAB species through a bacteriocin-like metab- olite. These results contribute to the design of a probiotic product to improve the sanitary status of bull- frogs in intensive culture systems, to avoid the use of antibiotics and thus to reduce production costs. It could also be an alternative to prevent infectious diseases during the ex situ breeding of amphibian spe- cies under threat of extinction.