Haematologic and immunologic parameters of bullfrogs, Lithobates catesbeianus, fed probiotics

The effects of two probiotics (P₁-Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum and Enterococcus faecium and P₂-Bacillus subtilis) supplemented to commercial feed (40% crude protein) on the haematological and immunological parameters of the bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus were studied. Two doses of each probiotic (5 and 10 g kg⁻¹ of food) were added to the diets and fed to frogs, totalling five treatments over 112 days. Haematological analyses consisted of total and differential leucocyte counts, erythrocyte and thrombocyte counts, haematocrit, haemoglobin levels and RBC indices (mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin - and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration) and the immunological parameters included phagocytic capacity and phagocytic index of peritoneal phagocytes. The results showed that the probiotics did not significantly influence any of the haematological parameters measured. However, immunological assays showed that the probiotics had an immunostimulating effect. The greatest effects were seen with probiotic P₁ fed at a dose of 10 g kg⁻¹ of diet and probiotic P₂ fed at 5 g kg⁻¹ of diet.