Volume 62(2):158-168, 2018

Acta Biologica Szegediensis

cta http://abs.bibl.u-szeged.hu/index.php/abs
iologica DOI:10.14232/abs.2018.2.158-168

zegediensis
REVIEW

Probiotic-based cultivation of Clarias batrachus: importance

and future perspective
Arindam Ganguly1, Amrita Banerjee1, Asish Mandal2, Pradeep K. Das Mohapatra3,*
1
Department of Microbiology, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore-721102, West Bengal, India.
2
Department of Botany, Ramananda College, Bishnupur-722122, Bankura, West Bengal, India.
3
Department of Microbiology, Raiganj University, Raiganj-733134, Uttar Dinajpur, West Bengal, India.

ABSTRACT Clarias batrachus (Linn.) is widely recognized in Indian sub-continent KEY WORDS
for its nutritional and economic significance. At present, it remains at a merely vulner- antagonism
able state. Pathogenic infections, diminution of natural habitats and introduction of aquaculture
allied exotic fishes are the causes of productivity constraint, particularly in Southern autochthonous
Asia. Conversely, African cat fish Clarias gariepinus has been significantly identified as a Clarias batrachus
probiotic
potential threat to biodiversity, despite being its large scale cultivation across the world.
Thus emphasis on indigenous C. batrachus farming is becoming inevitable. Currently,
screening of autochthonous probiotic organisms for the cultivation of C. batrachus in Article Information
Submitted
semi-intensive manner is getting importance. At the same time, molecular omics-based
28 May 2018.
technologies are also gaining considerable attention to identify potential probiotic mark- Accepted
ers. This review provides an overall concept of probiotics, its application and future 19 August 2018.
perspectives in relation to the cultivation of C. batrachus. *Corresponding author
Acta Biol Szeged 62(2):158-168 (2018) E-mail: pkdmvu@gmail.com

Introduction may thus lead to the expansion of pathogenic populations

(Bäumler and Sperandio 2016). There are many reports
regarding a sharp decrease in productivity due to abrupt
Aquaculture is becoming a growing and vibrant sector to use of anti-microbial drugs (Alcaide et al. 2005). Probiot-
provide food security to a large population of rural mass. ics are beneficial microorganisms which (as ecofriendly
Southern Asia, one of the mega biodiversity hotspots, is and biocompatible substances), are also in increased use
native to many indigenous freshwater fish species. Clarias to prevent and control aquatic diseases in recent decades.
batrachus (Linn.) (Asian catfish) is one of the most sought- They confer protection against pathogens; e.g., by produc-
after aquatic products owing to its nutritional benefits tion of bacteriocins, siderophores, lysozymes and other
and economic significance though the production of it antimicrobial compound (Ige 2013). Furthermore, they
remains low as per the major carps are concerned. The may stimulate immune responses of the host (Bandyopad-
species is presently on the verge of extinction in Southern hyay and Das Mohapatra 2009). Probiotics can be used
Asia due to exploitation of its natural habitats, reclamation as a functional feed additive to enhance feed digestibility
of wetlands, uncontrolled introduction of allied exotic and fecundity (Hoseinifar et al. 2017).
fishes and infectious diseases caused by bacterial patho- Scientific approaches along with social and ecologi-
gens (Ahmed et al. 2012). Abrupt use of pesticides in the cal awareness need to be adapted to rescue C. batrachus
adjacent agriculture field also has made the situation more from the existing deplorable state. Semi-intensive mode
hostile. In aquaculture, prevention and control of aquatic of cultivation must be prioritized for the conservation
diseases by chemical additives or antibiotics may gener- of native C. batrachus (ICAR-CIFA, 2016-17). Currently,
ate antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and thus creates a use of autochthonous probiotics is gaining increased
serious concern to public health (FAO 2006). The bacterial importance worldwide to cultivate the species in semi-
isolates obtained from a C. batrachus population exhibited intensive manner.
an increasing order of resistance against antibiotic colistin,
ampicillin, gentamycin, carbenicillin, tetracycline, strep- Aquaculture probiotics
tomycin, and ciprofloxacin (Pathak and Gopal 2005) that Probiotics are live microorganisms that confer health
may pose risk to fish fauna and public health (Hoseinifar benefit to the host when administered in adequate amount
et al. 2017). Transmission of antibiotic-resistant genes (FAO/WHO 2001). A probiotic should be non-pathogenic

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Ganguly et al.

and non-toxic to the host and must not contain any viru- Table 1. Mode of action of aquaculture probiotics.
lent or antibiotic-resistant gene (Fuller 1989). It should
remain viable without genetic alteration for prolonged Mode of action References
periods under storage and field conditions. However,
competition for nutrients and production of inhibitory Production of inhibitory substances to the Gatesoupe 1999
pathogen
substances could occur even in the rearing water (Dalmin
Competition for adhesion sites and nutrients Fuller 1989
et al. 2001). The acid and bile tolerance property may
enable the probiotic organisms to colonize the intestinal Improvement in nutrient digestion Afrilasari et al. 2017

tract of the host (De et al. 2014). A probiotic must also Stimulation of innate immunity Kim and Austin 2006

exhibit high cell-surface hydrophobicity which ensures Elevates phagocytic activity Butprom et al. 2013
its capacity of adherence to the intestinal wall (Krasowska Growth promotion Falaye et al. 2016
and Sigler 2014). It should be target specific and must Influence on water quality Crab et al. 2010
reach the desired location (Wang et al. 2008). Stress tolerance Fuller 1989
Probiotics have been found to play a significant role Interference in quorum sensing Defoirdt et al. 2004
in the sustainable development of aquaculture through Antifungal activity De et al. 2014
different approaches (Table 1). Aquaculture probiotics Antiviral activity Sahu et al. 2008
do possess different attributes from terrestrial-based
Protection against infection Gram et al. 1999
probiotics as the gastrointestinal microbiota of aquatic
Production of extracellular enzymes Irianto and Austin 2002
species is affected by the flow of water passing through the
Production of vitamins Balcazar et al. 2006
digestive tract (Gatesoupe 1999). Commercial probiotics
are available both in dry and liquid forms. The dry probi- Production of siderophores De et al. 2014

otics (Table 2) consist of spore-forming microorganisms, Improvement of host reproduction rate Ghosh et al. 2004

binding material, a cascade of enzymes coupled with Improvement of haematological profile Ayoola et al. 2013
vitamins and other functional additives. The ingredients Bioremediation Devaraja et al. 2013
are then mixed with sterile water for brewing at 27-32
°C for 16 to 18 h with continuous aeration (Sahu et al.
2008). Alternatively, it can directly be added to the feed
to use in the same day. However, the hatcheries mostly (2014) observed several probiotic marker genes including
prefer liquid forms (Table 3) than the dry, spore-forms. fibronectin binding protein (fbp), mucus binding protein
Generally, commercial liquid probiotics are extremely (mbp) and bile salt hydrolase (bsh) in Lactobacillus plantarum
hygroscopic and need to be kept away from moisture and KSBT56 strain. The fatty acid biosynthesis (e.g., fab gene)
sunlight. These liquid forms are applied directly to culture or quorum sensing (e.g., luxS gene) of bacterial strain must
water in the morning and evening and have faster mode be associated with the tolerance to acidic environment
of action (Sahu et al. 2008). The immersion method of (Defoirdt et al. 2004; Hamon et al. 2014). Adhesion is
storing live fish in a probiotic-rich container for certain the process of reversible accumulation of bacterial cells
period of time on a regular basis is also gaining increased belonging to autoaggregation or coaggregation. Probiotics
attention (Feliatra et al. 2018). must encode aggregation promoting factor (e.g., Apf), FbpA
protein or adh gene to colonize and exert antimicrobial
Molecular tracking of probiotic markers (e.g., albE) and immune-modulatory (e.g., slpA) substances
Molecular identification technologies (e.g., proteomics, (Papadimitriou et al. 2015). Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus
transcriptomics, secretomics, metabolomics, interac- mycoides, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus
tomics) are getting priority over traditional approaches in amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus endophyticus, Bacillus halodurans,
recent times to decipher the fundamental basis of probiot- Bacillus paralicheniformis and Bacillus methylotrophicus
ics functionality (Papadimitriou et al. 2015). Systematic contain class II lanthipeptide that can be identified by the
study of functional genomics is crucial to properly validate expression of lanM gene (Zhao and Kuipers 2016). The
putative probionts (Fig. 1). Several attempts have been genome mining study revealed expression of sublancin
made to identify molecular markers that would facilitate 168 and other putative gene clusters of glycocins in B.
the rapid screening of probiotic strains. The probiotic thuringiensis, B. cereus, Bacillus weihenstephanensis, Bacillus
must survive at high intestinal bile salt concentration lehensis, Bacillus sp., Geobacillus sp. and Paenibacillus sp.
through increased expression of bile stress-regulatory (Zhao and Kuipers 2016). B. thuringiensis, B. cereus and
genes (e.g., bsh), molecular chaperones (e.g., GroES, DnaK), Bacillus sp. BH072 were reported to contain gene clusters
proteases (e.g., Clps) or DNA repair proteins (e.g., uvrB) (Pa- of transmembrane protein colicins that depolarize the
padimitriou et al. 2015; Hamon et al. 2014). Tripathy et al. cytoplasm membrane of pathogen leading to dissipation of

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 Cultivation of Clarias batrachus using probiotics

Table 2. Feed probiotics used in aquaculture.

Host Probiotic Effect on host References

Dicentrarchus labrax Debaryomyces hansenii, Saccharomyces Enhanced growth performance and feed efficiency Tovar et al. 2002
(European sea bass) cerevisiae
Epinephelus coioides Bacillus pumilus SE5 and Bacillus clausii Improved growth performance and immune Sun et al. 2010
(Grouper) DE5 responses
Ictalurus punctatus Bacillus strain Prevented enteric septicaemia of catfish (ESC) Ran et al. 2012
(Channel catfish)
Labeo rohita Bacillus circulans Improved growth performance and feed efficiency Ghosh et al. 2004
(Rohu)
Macrobrachium rosenbergii Bacillus subtilis Enhanced growth and survivability against patho- Keysami and
(Prawn) genic Aeromonas hydrophila Mohammadpour 2013
Oncorhynchus mykiss Lactobacillus rhamnosus JCM 1136 Stimulated immune response Panigrahi et al. 2005
(Rainbow trout)
Oncorhynchus mykiss Carnobacterium maltaromaticum B26, Enhanced the cellular and humoral immune Kim and Austin 2006
(Rainbow trout) Carnobacterium divergens B33 responses
Oncorhynchus mykiss Bacillus subtilis AB1 Controlled Aeromonas infection Newaj-Fyzul et al. 2007
(Rainbow trout)
Oncorhynchus mykiss Aeromonas hydrophila, Vibrio fluvialis, Enhanced growth performance and feed efficiency Irianto and Austin 2002
(Rainbow trout) Carnobacterium sp.
Oncorhynchus mykiss Lactobacillus rhamnosus (ATCC 53103) Stimulated immune responses Nikoskelainen et al. 2003
(Rainbow trout)
Oreochromis niloticus Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6633), Lactobacil- Stimulated the gut immune system; enhanced the Aly et al. 2008
(Nile tilapia) lus acidophilus immune and health status; increased the survival
rate and body-weight gain
Oreochromis niloticus Streptococcus faecium, Lactobacillus Increased growth, digestibility and feed conversion Lara-Flores et al. 2003
(Nile tilapia) acidophilus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae ratio
Penaeus monodon Bacillus sp. S11 Enhanced growth performance and feed efficiency Rengpipat et al. 1998
(Asian tiger shrimp)
Salmo salar Carnobacterium divergens 6251 Inhibited Aeromonas salmonicida and Vibrio Ringo et al. 2007
(Atlantic salmon) anguillarum-induced pathogenicity
Salmo salar Carnobacterium sp. Inhibited Aeromonas salmonicida, Vibrio ordalii, Robertson et al. 2000
(Atlantic salmon) Yersinia ruckeri and reduced disease outbreak

cellular energy (Zhao and Kuipers 2016). Probiotic often 2013). The body, generally grayish-black, is cylindrical and
contain genes (e.g., tasA, tapA, bslA) to synthesize biofilms tapers towards the caudal peduncle. C. batrachus typically
by secreting extracellular matrix protein. Bacillus subtilis attains a standard length of 225-300 mm. However, in
biofilms is synthe­sized by the products of the eps gene (Pa- India it is found to be around 183.1 mm in length as an
padimitriou et al. 2015). Several gene or protein markers average (Ng and Kottelat 2008).
were involved in biofilm formation (e.g., bslA and tapA), The nutritional profile of C. batrachus contains easily
quorum-sensing (e.g., PlcR) in B. cereus and B. thuringiensis digestible high-grade protein (16.26 g/100 g), iron (2.20
(Majed et al. 2016). sipW, tasA, and calY transcriptions were mg/100 g), minerals, good cholesterol and polyunsatu-
repressed by the SinR regulator which controls biofilm rated fatty acids (ICAR-CIFA). It is also a rich source of
formation through production of kurstakin; a lipopeptide vitamin A (6.03 IU/100 g), vitamin D (44.73 IU/100 g) and
biosurfactant (Majed et al. 2016). The further identifica- essential amino acids (ICAR-CIFA; Mohanty et al. 2014).
tion of molecular markers including housekeeping genes C. batrachus can be found in both fresh and brackish
can enrich our understanding about the probable mode water of Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China,
of action of probiotics. Burma, Malaya, Singapore, Philippines, Borneo, Java, and
Thailand (Talwar and Jhingran 1991). They can be found in
The Asian catfish Clarias batrachus a variety of habitats, most commonly in muddy or swampy
Asian catfish C. batrachus has a broad depressed head low-land field and rice fields. The major constraint in
covered with bony plates, the snout of which contains the cultivation of C. batrachus in natural resources is the
four pairs of sensory barbels (Jayaram 1981). The skin non-availability of quality seeds. The scarcity of seeds
mucus often contains bactericidal proteins and provides arises from various factors like: indiscriminate use of
protection against invading pathogens (Elavarasi et al. pesticides in paddy fields, industrial effluents, diminution

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Ganguly et al.

Figure 1. Genes related to potential probiotic properties.

of breeding area due to siltation, intermittent periods of as C. batrachus (Table 4) are concerned. In this regard, a
drought and illicit fishing of juveniles and brood fishes protocol to screen putative probiotic strain for cultivation
(Dhara and Saha 2013). The exotic catfish C. gariepinus of C. batrachus can be proposed (Fig. 2).
that has morphological resemblance to indigenous C. Probiotic strains usually synthesize extracellular
batrachus is frequently misled by some dishonest traders enzymes (e.g., proteases, amylases, lipases) and growth
(Khedkar et al. 2015). These have threatened the mere factors (e.g., vitamins, fatty acids, amino acids) which
existence of this indigenous catfish. Therefore, it becomes can stimulate the appetite and endorse fish nutrition by
crucial to carry out breeding and rearing of C. batrachus the detoxification of toxic substances and breakdown of
to meet the need of the society. As the species is sold only indigestible components (Irianto and Austin 2002; Balca-
in living condition and cannot be transported over long zar et al. 2006). Consequently, nutrients are more readily
distances, a culturing in semi-intensive manner becomes absorbed when the feed is supplemented with probiotics
necessary. Thus, cultivation in small production pond (Afrilasari et al. 2017). The use of Lactobacillus acidophilus
and its supply to the market in living condition would with a diet for 12 weeks has exhibited improved specific
be a better practice for catfish farming. growth rate (SGR), relative growth rate (RGR), protein
efficiency ratio (PER), feed conversion ratio (FCR), hae-
Probiotics in Clarias species matological parameter and significantly (p < 0.05) higher
The invasive alien catfish C. gariepinus has presently been survival rate (SR) in C. gariepinus fingerlings (Ige 2013).
considered as a potential threat due to its frenzied feeding Banerjee and co-workers (2015) isolated an extracellular
behavior and hence, farming of indigenous C. batrachus enzyme-producing bacterial strain Bacillus licheniformis
is regaining its importance (Radhakrishnan et al. 2011). from C. batrachus. Dey et al. (2016) obtained an extracel-
However, reports on the use of probiotics in C. gariepinus lular enzyme-producing autochthonous gut bacteria B.
are available, but our knowledge is still limited so far cereus HG01 (KR809412) from C. batrachus. Ayo Olalusi et

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 Cultivation of Clarias batrachus using probiotics

Table 3. Examples of water probiotics used in aquaculture.

Host Probiotic Effect on host References

Litopenaeus vannamei Bacillus sp. and Lactobacillus Improved the environmental quality of the sediment Paiva-Maia et al. 2013
(Pacific white shrimp) and water in ponds with closed recirculation systems
Oncorhynchus mykiss Pseudomonas fluorescens AH2 Increased survival rate against pathogenic Gram et al. 1999
(Rainbow trout) Vibrio anguillarum
Penaeus monodon Bacillus sp. Improved growth and survival rate, maintained water Dalmin et al. 2001
(Asian tiger shrimp) quality
Penaeus monodon Bacillus pumilus, B. licheniformis Reduced total ammonia nitrogen (TAN); improved growth Devaraja et al. 2013
(Asian tiger shrimp) and B. subtilis and survival rate
Penaeus vannamei Bacillus sp., S. cerevisiae, Reduced concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus, Wang et al. 2005
(White shrimp) Nitrosomonas sp. increased yields of shrimp
Scophthalmus maximus Lactic acid bacteria Increased survival rate against vibriosis Gatesoupe 1994
(Turbot larva)
Scophthalmus maximus Roseobacter sp. Improved survival rate Hjelm et al. 2004
(Turbot larvae)

al. (2014) showed that viable feed-probiotics administered in African catfish C. gariepinus using biofloc technology
to C. gariepinus increased the hematological parameter and infused with the Bacillus probiotic.
digestive enzyme (amylase and lipase) activity of the catfish Probiotic microorganisms often exert bactericidal or
within acceptable range. Probiotic L. plantarum infused bacteriostatic substances to restrict the propagation of
diet considerably enhanced hematological parameters, pathogenic bacteria (Sahu et al. 2008). Kato et al. (2016)
carcass protein and mineral composition of African catfish have conducted a study to isolate and identify probiotic
C. gariepinus (Nwanna and Tope-Jegede 2016). bacteria from the surface of the African catfish C. gariepi-
A higher level of immunity was also noted while nus. Among all the isolates, Lactococcus sp. and Lactobacillus
challenging with pathogenic Salmonella typhi than those sp. have shown potential antimicrobial activity against
with non-probiotic diet. Probiotic Bacillus aryabhattai selected pathogenic strains. Lactobacillus fermentum LbFF4
KP784311, B. flexus KR809411, B. cereus KR809412 en- and L. plantarum LbOGI isolated from C. gariepinus showed
capsulated chironomid midge larvae significantly (p < in vitro antibacterial activities against gram negative
0.05) increased specific growth rate and survivability of bacteria Citrobacter, E. coli, Klebsiella, Proteus, Pseudomonas
C. batrachus (Dey et al. 2017). and Salmonella (Ogunshe and Olabode 2009). Fortified
Synergistic relationships among different bacterial diet enriched with L. plantarum enhanced growth, weight
strains may be more effective and consistent than a single gain and FCR of cultured C. gariepinus fingerlings (Falaye
strain of probiotic (Salinas et al. 2008). L. plantarum and et al. 2016). A parallel study with C. gariepinus showed
Pseudomonas fluorescens have a synergistic effect on each increased growth performance, FCR, PER, protein pro-
other and therefore produced higher specific growth ductive value and energy retention when the fish feed
rate and survival rate in C. gariepinus fingerlings than was supplemented with a commercial probiotic strain of
the control diet (Omenwa et al. 2015). Ayoola et al. (2013) Bacillus (El-Haroun 2007). The organism germinated in
reported that administering a mixture of Lactobacillus the intestine and synthesized digestive enzymes amylase,
and Bifidobacterium species in a feeding trial (90 days) protease and lipase which in turn contributed improved
enhanced feed efficiency, growth rate, survivability and feed efficiency.
nutritional quality of C. gariepinus juveniles. The hydrobio- Probiotics often exert immunomodulating substances
logical parameters are also important in maintaining the to stimulate immune response against pathogenic invasion
integrity of aquatic ecosystem and have direct influence (De et al. 2014). Vibrio anguillarum, Vibrio alginolyticus and
on the productivity of C. batrachus (Ganguly et al. 2017). Aeromonas hydrophila were reported to cause pathogenicity
Biofloc technology is a sustainable method to meliorate in C. batrachus (Ahmed et al. 2012). Dahiya et al. (2012)
water quality and feed utilization efficiency of aquatic ani- successfully experimented with C. batrachus fingerlings,
mals (Crab et al. 2010). The fermented bioflocs inoculated treating them with probiotics that resulted remarkable
with the bacterium B. cereus enhanced the growth and increase of immunity and hemoglobin level of the catfish.
feed utilization efficiency of juvenile catfish C. gariepinus L. plantarum C014 infused (107 cfu/g) diet improved in-
(Hapsari 2016). Putra et al. (2017) also reported to achieve nate immune response and disease resistance ability of
better growth performance and feed utilization efficiency hybrid catfish. The probiotic-supplemented diet elevated

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Ganguly et al.

Figure 2. Diagram for screening of autochthonous probiotic strain for the cultivation of C. batrachus.

phagocytic activity, lysozyme efficacy and survival rate and digestive enzyme activity of Clarias sp.  (Afrilasari
of hybrid catfish against A. hydrophila infection (Butprom et al. 2017). The results showed significantly higher (p <
et al. 2013). 0.05) SGR and increased activity of protease and amylase
Probiotic microorganisms resist the establishment of in fish maintained on the probiotic-supplemented diet
pathogen by adsorbing and colonizing the digestive tract of compared to those on the control diet. Bairagi et al. (2002)
the host (Fuller 1989) through a process called competitive isolated distinct microbial source of digestive enzymes
exclusion. One experiment was carried out to evaluate amylase, lipase and protease from the gastrointestinal
the effects of the probiotic bacterium Bacillus megaterium tract of C. batrachus that may contribute towards better
PTB 1.4 on the growth performance, intestinal microflora feed formulations. Yakubu et al. (2016) assessed the effects

163
 Cultivation of Clarias batrachus using probiotics

of commercial probiotic (Biogut) on C. gariepinus and where a large section is battling with protein deficiency
observed improved growth and survival rate of the fry. and malnutrition, consumption of C. batrachus may hold
Jahan et al. (2016) noticed better growth performance, promising potentiality in uplifting the overall health
SGR and proximate carcass compositions of C. batrachus status of the populace. To reinstate the genetic resources
fingerlings fed with probiotic-supplement diet compared of C. batrachus, semi-intensive aquaculture practices has
to the control diet. to be adopted. A concerted effort is the need of the hour
Quorum sensing is a bacterial cell-to-cell commu- to cultivate C. batrachus due to its apparent nutritional
nication mechanism leading to the alternation of gene and economic significance, whereas rational selection
expression in response to high population density (De and proper validation of probiotic is a cause of concern.
Almeida et al. 2016). The quorum quenching or disrup- The limnological properties of aquatic pond may pose a
tion of quorum sensing is considered as potential anti- threat to the establishment of probiotics and thus affect
infective strategy in aquaculture (Defoirdt et al. 2004). fish health. The laboratory result with test probiotics
The probiotic Lysinibacillus sphaericus, B. amyloliquefaciens should be in accordance with large-scale commercial
and B. cereus have been reported to disintegrate acyl ho- implication. The preservation of probiotics maintaining
moserine lactone (AHL), the quorum sensing molecule the viability of the organisms is yet to be standardized.
of pathogenic A. hydrophila by producing AHL-lactonase The dose-level optimization of a certain probiotic strain
and thus preventing motile aeromonad septicemia (MAS) also needs to be carried out before commercialization.
in C. gariepinus (Novita et al. 2015). However, different molecular technique-based ap-
proaches (polymerase chain reaction, multiplex-PCR,
pulsed field gel electrophoresis, random amplified poly-
Conclusion morphic DNA, fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy,
denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, temporal tem-
In the era of global food crisis, aquaculture stands as perature gradient gel electrophoresis, fluorescence in
a sustainable approach to restore biodiversity and en- situ hybridization) are now being increasingly used for
sure nutritional security (Naylor et al. 2000). Countries the analysis of GI microflora to screen autochthonous

Table 4. Application of probiotics in Clarias species.

Host Probiotic Effect on host References

Clarias batrachus Lysinibacillus sphaericus Inhibited Vibrio harveyi infection Ganguly et al. 2018
(Asian catfish)
Clarias batrachus Lactobacillus sporogenes, Saccharomyces boulardii Controlled A. hydrophila infection Dahiya et al. 2012
(Asian catfish)
Clarias batrachus Nitromonas, Rhodococcus, Bacillus megaterium, Lech- Increased haematological profile, inhibited A. Dahiya et al. 2012
(Asian catfish) eni formis, Desulphovibrio sulphuricum, Pseudomonas, hydrophila infection
Chromatium, Chlorobium, Thiobacillus thioxidants,
Thiobacillus ferroxidant, Methylomonas metyhanica,
Glucon acetobactor, Azospirillum, Trichoderma, Shizo-
phyllum commune, Sclertium gluconicum
Clarias gariepinus Lactobacillus acidophilus Improved growth, survivability, feed efficiency Al-Dohail et al. 2009
(African catfish)
Clarias gariepinus Lactobacillus acidophilus Enhanced haematology parameters, stimulat- Al-Dohail et al. 2011
(African catfish) ed immunity, inhibited Staphylococcus xylosus,
Aeromonas hydrophila gr.2 and Streptococcus
agalactiae infection
Clarias gariepinus Bacillus thuringiensis Enhanced of cellular non-specific immune Reneshwary et al. 2011
(African catfish) response against A. hydrophila infection
Clarias gariepinus Lactobacillus acidophilus Improved fish health, enhanced haematologi- Olayinka and Afolabi 2013
(African catfish) cal parameters
Clarias gariepinus Saccharomyces cerevisiae Increased body weight and growth rate Essa et al. 2011
hybrid (MCF♀ ×
QCF♂) (Egyptian
African catfish)
Clarias gariepinus Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bacillus subtilis, Lactobacil- Enhanced growth and survival rate of African Dennis and Uchenna 2016
(African catfish) lus bulgaricus catfish larva
Clarias orientalis Lactobacillus sp. Increased growth and survival rate, inhibited Dhanasekaran et al. 2008
(Catfish) Aeromonas and Vibrio sp.

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Ganguly et al.

probiotics (Kim et al. 2007). The ‘omics’ studies may also Ayoola SO, Ajani EK, Fashae OF (2013) Effect of probiotics
provide a potential opportunity to obtain probiotic micro- (Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium) on growth performance
organisms avoiding traditional cultivation methods. The and hematological profile of Clarias gariepinus juveniles.
use of probiotics to potentiate the benefits of C. batrachus World J Fish Mar Sci 5(1):01-08.
stand necessary and its application is both empirical and Bairagi A, Ghosh KS, Sen SK, Ray AK (2002) Enzyme pro-
scientific. A futuristic approach with probiotics main- ducing bacterial flora isolated from fish digestive tracts.
taining ecologically sound management practices has to Aquacult Int 10:109-121.
be adopted to bring about socio-economic upliftment in Balcazar JL, Blas ID, Ruiz-Zarzuela I, Cunningham D,
Asian countries which are the native place of C. batrachus. Vendrell D, M´ uzquiz JL (2006) The role of probiotics
in aquaculture. Vet Microbiol 114(3-4):173-186.
Bandyopadhyay P, Das Mohapatra PK (2009) Effect of pro-
Acknowledgement biotic bacterium Bacillus circulans PB7 in the formulated
diets: on growth, nutritional quality and immunity of
The authors are thankful to Prof. Saptarshi Roy, Depart- Catla catla (Ham.). Fish Physiol Biochem 35:467-478.
ment of English; B.S. College for his valuable suggestions Banerjee G, Dan SK, Nandi A, Ghosh P, Ray AK (2015) Au-
regarding the polishing of English language. tochthonous gut bacteria in two Indian air-breathing
fish, climbing perch (Anabas testudineus) and walking
catfish (Clarias batrachus): mode of association, identi-
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