Abstract
Simple SummaryThe prohibition on the use of antibiotics in animal nutrition has resulted in the more frequent use of phytobiotics, which are natural medical preparations made from herbs. When used in the nutrition of ruminants, phytobiotic preparations affect the motility of the gastrointestinal tract and the secretion of digestive juices, and also stimulate the development of the intestinal microbiota. Their effect on the development of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), with subsequent effects on the degree of microbial homeostasis in the gastrointestinal tract, is particularly important. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of herbal supplements on lactic acid bacteria (LAB) count in the faeces of lactating dairy goats. It was assumed that the specific chemical composition of herbal supplements would positively affect the digestive processes of does, and thus the growth of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) colonies. The research was conducted on dairy goats assigned to five nutrition groups of twelve animals each. The animals in the experimental groups received a supplement made of (seven or nine) herbs at a rate of 20 g or 40 g per animal per day. A statistically significant effect of lactation stage on the intestinal Lactobacillus bacteria count was found. The highest concentration of LAB was found in the group receiving a feed supplement consisting of nine herbs at 20 g per animal per day. A probiotic strain of Lactobacillus fermentum absent from the control goats was identified in the faecal samples of goats that receiving the herbal supplement.Sixty dairy goats of the Polish white improved breed were randomly assigned to five feeding groups of twelve animals each. The animals received a supplement containing seven herbs at 20 or 40 g/animal/day (experimental groups 1 and 2) and a supplement containing nine herbs at 20 or 40 g/animal/day (experimental groups 3 and 4)m, along with pelleted concentrate feed. Group 5 (the control group) received pelleted feed without any herbal supplements. A significant effect of herbal feed additive on lactic acid bacteria (LAB) count was observed (p < 0.001). The highest number density of LAB was found in the goats receiving the feed additive with nine herbs at 20 g/animal per day (p < 0.05). There was a statistically significant effect of lactation stage on intestinal LAB count (p < 0.001). Regardless of the feeding group, the highest number density of LAB was found in animals at the peak of lactation. The LAB count was also affected by the interaction of diet group × lactation stage (p < 0.0001). A probiotic strain of Lactobacillus fermentum was identified in the faecal samples of goats receiving the herbal additive, but not in the controls. Genetic identification of the microorganisms isolated from the faeces of the experimental goats did not reveal the presence of harmful mould spores, although spores of the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus were detected in the controls.
Highlights
The prohibition on the use of antibiotics in animal nutrition has resulted in the increased use of natural substances derived from medicinal plants [1]
The genetic identification performed as part of our experiment revealed the presence of microbes such as Enterococcus faecium strain ATCC 19434 and Enterococcus faecium strain NBRC 100490
There is a significant effect of the herbal feed additive on lactic acid bacteria (LAB) count (p < 0.001)
Summary
The prohibition on the use of antibiotics in animal nutrition has resulted in the increased use of natural substances derived from medicinal plants [1]. Herbal raw materials are those parts of plants in which the accumulation of active ingredients is relatively high, and may include leaves, rhizomes, roots, flowers, bark, fruit, or seeds. The stimulating or prophylactic and therapeutic properties of plants are determined by their bioactive ingredient content, which is maximized by harvesting at the optimal vegetative phase, the appropriate conditions and place of harvesting, proper drying, and storage [5]. Even under proper storage conditions, the properties intensity of the active ingredients of herbs diminishes over time [6]. Production waste from the herbal industry may be used as a feed additive, provided that it still has an appropriate active ingredient content. The most important groups of bioactive ingredients that are found in herbal raw materials are tannins, saponins, essential oils, flavonoids, glycosides, and alkaloids [8]
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