Objective.

To study the effect of homeopathic medicines on growth, survival and gastrointestinal (GIT) microbiota of Catarina scallop Argopecten ventricosus.

Materials and methods.

Five homeopathic (HOM) treatments derived from bacteria [(T1) ViP-ViA 1D, (T2) ViP-ViA 7C], minerals [(T3) AcF-MsS 1D, (T4) PhA-SiT 7C] or venoms [T5) ViT 31C] and three controls: [(C1) diluted ethanol 1:99, (C2) diluted/succussed ethanol 1C and (C3) distilled water] were evaluated (21 days) in triplicate. Microbiota was analysed by sequencing the V3-V5 region of the 16S rRNA genes.

Results.

The best growth in shell-length corresponded to T1 (117 µm d-1) and T2 (108 µm d-1) and the highest survival to T3 and T5, stating T3 as the best HOM-treatment. A clear separation was found in rarefaction curves of HOM-treated against un-treated control scallops. Significant differences (p≤0.05) were found for Phyla (Proteobacteria> Actinobacteria> Firmicutes> Bacterloidetes>Chloroflexi and for Genera: Symbiobacterium> Microbacterium> Methylobacillus> Bacillus> Paenibacillus> Burkholderia> Nostoc> Methylobacterium> Leucobacter). The genus Symbiobacterium was dominant in T5, finding significant differences (p≤0.05) with respect to all treatments. At species level, Microbacterium maritypicum (Actinobacteria) showed a greater relative abundance (p≤0.05) in T1 and T3 and Symbiobacterium toebii (Firmicutes) was also significantly higher (p≤0.05) in abundance in T5 and T2, both against initial T0.

Conclusions.

This study showed for a first time, the composition of GIT microbiota in A. ventricosus and focused on the potential applicability of homeopathy to improve overall performance and modulate the GIT microbiota of the species.

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