Effect of probiotics Bacillus coagulans and Bacillus megaterium on intestinal microbiota of piglets

Abstract

Following the ban on the use of antibiotics in animal feed in January 2006 in the EU due to fears and the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARBs), combined with increased consumer demand for safe food of animal origin, new strategies have been proposed to address diarrhea in piglets. occurs after weaning from sows. Accordingly, probiotics are used to create a healthy gut microbiota, improve health, well-being and productivity at all stages of pork production. Probiotics have been identified by FAO as living microorganisms that benefit animal health when taken in the right amounts. Recently, however, due to increased interest and increased research on probiotics, the definition has been expanded to include microorganisms and their fermentation products. Probiotics are defined as mixtures of known viable microbes in equivalent amounts that modify the host's microflora to benefit its health. Particularly reliable are the strains of Bacillus megaterium and Bacillus coagulans, which are able to withstand extreme environments, such as high levels of acid in the stomach, and this makes them particularly effective in eliminating gastric distress and other diseases. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of probiotic strains of microorganisms on the microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract of piglets. Addition to the diet of piglets Bacillus megaterium has a positive effect on the reproduction and accumulation of lactobacilli, helps to suppress opportunistic pathogens from the family Enterobacteriaceae (Proteus, Citrobacter, Enterobacter, Klebsiella). Probiotic strains of Bacillus coagulans, Bacillus megaterium, reduce the number of opportunistic pathogens from the family Escherichia coli, which has hemolytic activity, compared with the control group where Escherichia coli with hemolytic activity was isolated. The number of opportunistic pathogens from the family Enterobacteriaceae (Proteus, Citrobacter, Enterobacter, Klebsiella) in the feces of piglets of the experimental group fed Bacillus coagulans and Bacillus megaterium was 101, which is lower than in the control group – 1×102.