Indian oil sardine (Sardinella longiceps) gut derived Bacillus safensis SDG14 with enhanced probiotic competence for food and feed applications.

Probiotics are considered as functional food as they provide health benefits along with traditional nutrition. Spore forming probiotic Bacillus are of commercial interest than Lactic Acid Bacillus due to their relatively lower cost of production and higher survivability. In the present study we identified the bacterial strain SDG14 isolated from Indian oil Sardine by Average Nucleotide Identity of whole genome sequence. The whole genome of SDG14 was also explored for pathogenicity, the presence of genes responsible for probiotic traits such as spore formation, resistance to host gastrointestinal tract conditions, adhesion to intestinal mucosa, interference in pathogen survival, expression of bacteriocins, oxidative and other stress responses, absorption of nutrition, production of essential amino acids and vitamins. Wet lab experiments for probiotic characterization were also conducted. The organism was confirmed to be Bacillus safensis SDG14. The possible pathogenicity of the organism was also ruled out by in silico analysis. Bacillus safensis SDG14 was able to survive at pH 3 and bile salt concentration of 0.5% (w/v). The adhesion index of Bacillus safensis SDG14 on HEp-2 was 36.82 ± 5.93 and 45.54 ± 9.55 respectively after 60 and 90 min of incubation and self aggregation percentage was 18.4 ± 0.48% after 3 h. Bacillus safensis SDG14 produced bacteriocin and co-aggregated with E. coli, Salmonella Typhimurium and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The genomic data supported the findings of wet lab study and vice versa. Bacillus safensis SDG14 was proved to be a non-pathogenic, spore forming, pH and bile salt resistant, bacteriocin, amino acid and vitamin producing probiotic with proposed food and feed applications.