Tapeworm infection continues to be an important cause of morbidity worldwide. Recent metagenomics studies have established a link between gut microbiota and parasite infection. The identification of gut probiotics is of foremost importance to explore its relationship and function with the parasite in the host. In this study, the gut content of hosts infected with tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta and non-infected host gut were disected out to determine their Lactic acid bacterial (LAB) population in MRS agar and microbial community was analysed by metagenomics. The bacterial count was calculated on a bacterial counting chamber and their morphology was determined microscopically and biochemically. Further, to determine the safety profile antibiotic resistance test, antimicrobial, hemolytic activity, and adhesion capability were calculated. We found six dominant probiotic strains and a decrease in LAB load from 1.7-2.3 × 107 CFU/mL in the uninfected group to a range of 8.4 × 105 CFU/mL to 3.2 × 105 CFU/mL in the infected groups with respect to an increase in the parasite number from 10-18. In addition, we found a depletion in the probiotic relative abundance of Lactobacillus and an enrichment in potentially pathogenic Proteobacteria, Fusobacteria, and Streptococcus. Phylogenetic analysis of the six probiotics revealed a close similarity with different strains of L. brevis, L. johnsonii, L. taiwansis, L. reuteri, L. plantarum, and L. pentosus. Thus, this study suggests that the parasite inhibits probiotic colonization in the gut during its early establishment of infection inside the host.
Keywords: Lactic acid bacteria; Lactobacillus; dysbiosis; gut microbiota; parasite infections; relative abundance.