Dynamics and Diversity of Microbial Contamination in Poultry Bedding Materials Containing Parts of Medicinal Plants.

Łukasz Gontar,Dariusz Zych,Maksymilian Kochański,Andżelika Drutowska,Maria Buła,Monika Sitarek-Andrzejczyk,Justyna Markiewicz

doi:10.3390/ma15041290

Łukasz Gontar, Dariusz Zych + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15041290

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Abstract

Microorganisms thriving in poultry bedding materials during their exploitation are involved in the development of several diseases and disfunctions of animals. They can also contaminate food products and pose risks to the environment and human health. This study provides an analysis of dynamics and diversity in microbiological contamination observed during the exploitation of poultry bedding materials containing parts of medicinal plants: Satureja hortensis, Origanum vulgare, Melissa officinalis, Salvia officinalis, and Thymus vulgaris, compared with standard types of beddings: straw chaff and straw pellets. The research was carried out in two 42-day experimental cycles involving in total 2400 broiler chickens. Each week, the total count of mesophilic bacteria, fungi and yeasts, the presumptive presence and count of Staphylococcus sp., Escherichia sp., Listeria sp., Salmonella sp., and Candida sp. were determined by culturing on selective media, along with pH and moisture measurements. After 35 days of the experiment, a reduction of the total count of mesophilic bacteria above 1 log compared to the control (11.86 vs. 13.02 log CFU/g) was observed. As the count of yeasts decreased after 21 days, an increase in the total count of bacteria was reported, which indicates a strong competition between microorganisms. The results improve our understanding of the temporal effects of using materials containing parts of medicinal plants on the microbial contamination in poultry litter.

Highlights

Between 1961 and 2020, the global poultry production increased from 9 to 134 million tonnes [1,2]
The objective of our study is to investigate the total count of mesophilic aerobic bacteria, the total count of yeasts and moulds, and the presumptive count of Staphylococcus sp., Escherichia sp., Listeria sp., Salmonella sp., and Candida sp. in poultry bedding materials containing parts of Satureja hortensis, Origanum vulgare, Melissa officinalis, Salvia officinalis, and Thymus vulgaris during the exploitation of materials by animals
The least essential oil content was found in materials P1 and P6, which resulted from high Origanum vulgare herb content in the recipe

Summary

Introduction

Between 1961 and 2020, the global poultry production increased from 9 to 134 million tonnes [1,2] Along with this growing supply and demand, a strong societal and regulatory pressure to improve the sustainability of animal production can be observed. Commission announced its plan to prohibit the use of cages in the European Union from 2027 for all laying hens, broiler breeders, layer breeders, quail, ducks and geese [3]. These trends are important factors stimulating the demand for poultry bedding materials. The resulting poultry litter hosts rich and diverse populations of microorganisms [4]

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