EFFECTS OF SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE VAR BOULARDII ON INTERLEUKIN-1? EXPRESSION AND GUT MORPHOMETRY IN EUROPEAN SEA BASS: PRELIMINARY RESULTS

Probiotics, according to currently adopted definition of World Health Organization, are "live microoorganisms that when administered in adequate amounts confer a beneficial health effect on the host" (WHO, 2001). In aquaculture, probiotics are opening a new era in the health management strategies, because, also for aquatic species, are counted among functional foods,. In particular, probiotics are able to colonize and multiply in the gut of host. They positively influence the physiology of the host organism by modulating mucosal and systemic immunity, as well as, by improving the nutritional and microbial balance in the intestinal tract (Balcazar et al., 2006; Mohapatra et al., 2012). Currently, the specific literature underlines the numerous beneficial effects in fish of these useful microbes, but their mechanisms of action are still little known and need to be explored. Here, is presented a preliminary insight into the effects of Saccharomyes cerevisiae var boulardii on some gut mucosa changes and local expression of interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) in European seabass, Dicentrarchus labrax. We report some preliminary data of a more complete systemic study in which are considered numerous indicators of health status