Lab Evaluation Methods Quantify Probiotic Benefits

摘要

Due to the inherent complexities of field testing, definitive laboratory-based test methods can better quantify the performance of probiotics. The authors recently developed methods to objectively document the activity of a pro-biotic at commercial application rates. The study demonstrated clear improvements in water quality similar to those reported in pond applications, as well as digestion of organic material and suppressed Vibrio populations. The use of bacterial amendments has become an acceptedpractice in commercial shrimp farming worldwide. Products containing selected strains of bacteria are marketed as "probiotics," which when added to ponds are said to improve water quality and pond bottom conditions while reducing pathogenic microbes. The widespread use of these products by an industry with declining profit margins is evidence of positive grower perceptions toward the use of probiotic blends in pond ecosystems.