Currently, the in‐depth research and practical application of probiotics in the green and healthy breeding of Chinese soft‐shelled turtles ( Pelodiscus sinensis ) remain limited. This study conducted a 30‐day feeding trial with turtles of an initial weight of 528.95 ± 2.96 g. The aim was to evaluate the effects of three endogenous probiotics— Enterococcus faecalis (EF), Lactococcus lactis (LL), and Weissella cibaria (WC) on the intestinal health, liver antioxidant capacity, muscle nutritional components, intestinal microbiota composition, and aquaculture water quality of P. sinensis . Supplementation with probiotics significantly reshaped the microbial communities in the gut and aquaculture water, enriching beneficial bacterial genera such as Romboutsia and Bacteroides . Strain‐specific functional benefits were observed: LL significantly improved villus height (VH) and lamina propria thickness ( p < 0.05); WC significantly enhanced liver antioxidant enzyme activities. including glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT), as well as the content of essential amino acids (EAAs) in muscle ( p < 0.05); EF significantly increased trypsin activity and the content of umami amino acids (UAAs) in muscle ( p < 0.05), while enriching beneficial bacteria such as Nitrosomonas and improving water quality by reducing total phosphorus and ammonia nitrogen. Correlation analysis linked specific microbial taxa to host physiological and environmental parameters. These findings demonstrate the diverse and unique roles of endogenous probiotics and provide a scientific basis for their precise application in sustainable turtle farming.
Liao et al. (Thu,) studied this question.