Isolation, Culture and Characterization of Lactobacillus salivarius as Probiotic Candidates for the Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)
IAAAM 2011
Maria-Alejandra Diaz1,2; Elizabeth M. Bik3,4; Kevin P. Carlin5; Eric D. Jensen6; Stephanie Venn-Watson5; Elizabeth P. Gaston1; David A. Relman3,4,7; James Versalovic1,2
1Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Houston, TX, USA; 2Texas Children's Hospital, Department of Pathology, Houston, TX, USA; 3Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Palo Alto, CA, USA; 4Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA; 5National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA, USA; 6U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program, San Diego, CA, USA; 7Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Infectious Diseases & Geographic Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
Abstract
Lactic acid bacteria, especially those that naturally exist in the host animal, can serve as effective probiotics that support gastrointestinal health. To explore probiotics as complementary health management strategies for marine mammals, we screened oral, gastric, and fecal samples obtained from bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, for lactic acid bacteria. We identified 304 isolates obtained by 16S rDNA sequence analysis. Isolates were evaluated for probiotic potential by testing their immunomodulatory and antipathogenic properties. A novel Lactobacillus species was cultured with 96.3% 16S rDNA sequence similarity to Lactobacillus ceti. We also obtained Lactobacillus salivarius strains which inhibited growth of Salmonella sp. and stimulated production of TNF in human monocytoid cells. As such, L. salivarius strains are primary candidate probiotics for marine mammal clinical trials given their demonstrated in vitro anti-pathogenic, immuno-stimulatory abilities.
Acknowledgements
This work was funded by the Office of Naval Research.