Gut microbiota modulation and immunity enhancement by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens NL1.2: A fiber-degrading probiotic isolated from native Thai swine

Vet World Vol.18 June-2025 Article - 9

Research Article

Veterinary World, 18(6): 1487-1507

https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2025.1487-1507

Kittiya Khongkool¹

, Malai Taweechotipatr²

, Sunchai Payungporn³

, Vorthon Sawaswong⁴

, and Monthon Lertworapreecha⁵

1. Biotechnology Program, Faculty of Science and Digital Innovation, Thaksin University, Phatthalung Province 93210, Thailand.

2. Center of Excellence in Probiotic Research, Faculty of Medicine, Srinakharinwirot University, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand.

3. Center of Excellence in Systems Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.

4. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.

5. Microbial Technology for Agriculture, Food, and Environment Research Center, Faculty of Science and Digital Innovation, Thaksin University, Phatthalung Province 93210, Thailand.

Background and Aim: The pursuit of sustainable alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters has intensified interest in spore-forming probiotics with fiber-degrading capabilities. This study aimed to isolate, characterize, and evaluate the safety and functional properties of Bacillus spp. from native Thai swine, focusing on strains with probiotic potential and enzymatic activity for application in livestock nutrition.

Materials and Methods: Spore-forming Bacillus isolates were obtained from fecal samples of backyard-raised native pigs. Isolates were screened for acid and bile tolerance, autoaggregation, hydrophobicity, biofilm formation, adhesion to Caco-2 cells, antimicrobial activity, and co-aggregation with pathogens. Enzyme production (cellulase, xylanase, and pectinase), hemolytic activity, and antibiotic susceptibility were also assessed. The most promising strain, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens NL1.2, was subjected to in vivo safety and efficacy evaluations in a mouse model, including assessments of toxicity, histopathology, secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels, and gut microbiome modulation through full-length 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing.

Results: B. amyloliquefaciens NL1.2 exhibited robust probiotic traits including high acid (115.05%) and bile (75.16%) tolerance, strong autoaggregation (65.99%), moderate hydrophobicity (34.13%), and effective adhesion (2.0%) to intestinal epithelial cells. It produced fiber-degrading enzymes (cellulase: 0.015 U/mL; xylanase: 0.522 U/mL; and pectinase: 0.374 U/mL) showed antimicrobial activity against Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli, Enteropathogenic E. coli, and Salmonella Typhimurium, and was non-hemolytic and antibiotic-sensitive. In vivo, NL1.2 induced no adverse effects and significantly elevated intestinal secretory IgA levels (p < 0.05). Microbiome analysis revealed enrichment of beneficial taxa (e.g., Bacteroidetes and Barnesiella) and reduction of potentially pathogenic taxa (e.g., Helicobacter and Deferribacteres).

Conclusion: B. amyloliquefaciens NL1.2 is a safe, multifunctional probiotic with fiber-degrading, immunomodulatory, and gut microbiota-modulating properties. Its origin from native swine and broad functional attributes highlights its potential as a next-generation feed additive for sustainable animal production.

Keywords: Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, fiber-degrading enzymes, gut microbiome modulation, mucosal immunity, native swine feces, probiotics.

How to cite this article: Khongkool K, Taweechotipatr M, Payungporn S, Sawaswong V, and Lertworapreecha M (2025) Gut microbiota modulation and immunity enhancement by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens NL1.2: A fiber-degrading probiotic isolated from native Thai swine, Veterinary World, 18(6): 1487-1507.

Received: 24-02-2025 Accepted: 08-05-2025 Published online: 10-06-2025

Corresponding author: Monthon Lertworapreecha E-mail: worapreecha@gmail.com

DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2025.1487-1507

Copyright: Khongkool, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.