Marine-Derived Bacillus and Their Potential as Probiotics

The marine environment is an underutilised resource in probiotic research despite its potential for unique and beneficial microbes. Bacterial probionts derived from the ocean are emerging in the probiotic research field as an area of interest. Bacillus species (spp.) are Gram-positive, endospore-forming bacteria. Due to their unique resilience and their generally recognised as safe (GRAS) status, they have gained traction as putative probiotics. Existing large-scale reviews into the probiotic potential of Bacillus spp. have focused on terrestrial species, with limited attention given to marine-derived species. This review aims to address this gap by evaluating marine-derived Bacillus spp. with a focus on their diversity, origins, sources and demonstrated potential as probionts.