The Prebiotic Effect of an Organic Acid Mixture on <i>Faecalibacterium prausnitzii</i> Metabolism and Its Anti-Pathogenic Role against <i>Vibrio parahaemolyticus</i> in Shrimp

oleh: Eugenia Butucel, Igori Balta, David McCleery, Adela Marcu, Ducu Stef, Ioan Pet, Todd Callaway, Lavinia Stef, Nicolae Corcionivoschi

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2022-12-01

Deskripsi

Increasing the abundance of probiotic bacteria in the gut requires either direct dietary supplementation or the inclusion of feed additives able to support the growth of beneficial commensal bacteria. In crustaceans, the increased presence of probiotic-like bacteria in the gut, including of <i>Faecalibacterium prausnitzii</i> (<i>F. prausnitzii</i>), will guarantee a positive health status and a gut environment that will ensure enhanced performance. The aim of this study was to investigate if a mixture of organic acids, AuraAqua (Aq) can stimulate the growth and the anti-pathogenic efficacy of <i>F. prausnitzii</i> through a combination of in vitro and ex vivo models. The results showed that 0.5% Aq was able to improve the growth rate of <i>F. prausnitzii</i> in vitro and in an ex vivo shrimp gut model. Moreover, we were able to demonstrate that Aq increases butyrate production and cellulose degradation in culture or in the shrimp gut model. The growth-stimulating effect of Aq also led to an improved and anti-pathogenic effect against <i>Vibrio parahaemolyticus</i> in a co-culture experiment with shrimp gut primary epithelial cells (SGP). In conclusion, our work demonstrates that Aq can stimulate the growth of <i>F. prausnitzii</i>, increase the production of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) butyrate, improve substrate digestion, and prevent <i>V. parahaemolyticus</i> invasion of SGP cells.