I have a B subtilis isolated from fermented food showing characteristics of probiotic bacteria. Is there any concern regarding the use of bacillus as probiotics?
Bacillus subtilis and indeed some other bacillus species are bacteria involved in the natural fermentation of several indigenous fermented products in Nigeria. Such products can be consumed without any further form of process e.g. cooking. Since there has not been any reported outbreak of infection from consumption of such fermented products it means that they can be used as probiotic if they meet other criteria. In fact some Bacillus species have been granted GRAS status.
Some Bacillus subtilis strains already are already used in registered probiotics, such as Bio-Kult in the UK, Biosporin in the Ukraine, Medilac-Vita in China, and Primal Defense in the United States. Many other strains show good potential (see PMID:21315976, 22433662). There are fermented soybean curd products in Japan (natto) and Korea that contain Bacillus subtilis cultures that are being investigated for their probiotic properties (see, for example, PMID: 22207744). Additionally, there is evidence that some B. subtilis strains are adapted to carrying out their full life cycle in the human colon. One such strain, HU58, is being investigated as a probiotic (see PMID:22433662).