article · Animals
Salmonella enterica infections in chickens cause significant economic losses and public health risks, exacerbated by widespread antimicrobial resistance. Researchers investigated specific Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus probiotic strains as alternative therapies to reduce Salmonella typhimurium colonisation in one-day-old broiler chicks. Strains were tested for their ability to adhere to intestinal epithelial cells and their protective effects in live birds. Lactobacillus casei ATTC334 and Bifidobacterium breve JCM1192 strongly adhered to epithelial cells and reduced Salmonella recovery from cecal tonsils through competitive exclusion. Bifidobacterium infantis BL2416 bound poorly to epithelial cells but still lowered Salmonella recovery while stimulating interferon gamma and tumour necrosis factor alpha production. These three effective strains also enhanced body weight gain and feed conversion efficiency in infected chicks. In contrast, Bifidobacterium longum Ncc2785 failed to attach, did not stimulate immune cytokines, and did not prevent Salmonella colonisation.
Salmonella infections in poultry can spread to humans and cause serious foodborne illness, while the overuse of antibiotics has led to dangerous drug resistance. Finding effective probiotic bacteria offers poultry farmers a biological method to protect flocks, improve animal growth, and maintain food safety without relying on conventional antibiotics.
This research provides applied animal-trial evidence for using specific probiotic strains as feed additives or oral treatments in poultry production. It directly targets poultry producers and animal nutrition companies seeking non-antibiotic therapies against Salmonella typhimurium. The findings demonstrate efficacy in live broilers, representing tested, applied research that requires further field trials and product formulation before commercial deployment.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
Chicken <i>Salmonella enterica</i> serovars are enteric bacteria associated with massive public health risks and economic losses. There is a widespread antimicrobial resistance among <i>S.</i> <i>enterica</i> serotypes, and innovative solutions to antibiotic resistance are needed. We aimed to use probiotics to reduce antibiotic resistance and identify the major probiotic players that modify the early interactions between <i>S.</i> <i>enterica</i> and host cells. One-day-old cobb broiler chicks were challenged with <i>S. typhimurium</i> after oral inoculation with different probiotic strains for 3 days. The adherence of different probiotic strains to Caco-2 intestinal epithelial cells was studied in vitro. <i>Lactobacillus</i> (<i>Lacticaseibacillus</i>) <i>casei</i> ATTC334 and <i>Bifidobacterium breve</i> JCM1192 strains attached to Caco-2 cells stronger than <i>B. infantis</i> BL2416. <i>L. casei</i> ATTC334 and <i>B. breve</i> JCM1192 reduced <i>S. typhimurium</i> recovery from the cecal tonsils by competitive exclusion mechanism. Although <i>B. infantis</i> BL2416 bound poorly to Caco-2 epithelial cells, it reduced <i>S. typhimurium</i> recovery and increased IFN-γ and TNF-α production. <i>L. casei</i> ATTC334, <i>B. breve</i> JCM1192 and <i>B. infantis</i> BL2416 improved body weight gain and the food conversion rate in <i>S. typhimurium</i>-infected broilers. <i>B. longum</i> Ncc2785 neither attached to epithelial cells nor induced IFN-γ and TNF-α release and consequently did not prevent <i>S. typhimurium</i> colonization in broiler chickens. In conclusion, probiotics prevented the intestinal colonization of <i>S. typhimurium</i> in infected chickens by competitive exclusion or cytokine production mechanisms.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.3390/ani10061023
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
