The Recent Trend in the Use of Multistrain Probiotics in Livestock Production: An Overview.

Modinat Tolani Lambo,Dasen Liu,Xiaofeng Chang

doi:10.3390/ani11102805

Modinat Tolani Lambo, Dasen Liu + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11102805

Copy DOI

Abstract

Simple SummaryProbiotics are live microorganisms that confer a health benefit to the administered animal when ingested. Their use has been an effective alternative to antimicrobial growth promoters in the livestock industry, and they could be bacteria or non-bacterial species or strains. However, there has been an increasing trend in administering multistrain probiotics in recent years. Multistrain probiotics comprise two or more species or strains of important microorganisms as a consortium beneficial to the administered animal. Several studies are being carried out to explore their potency or efficiency. They have proven to be a promising alternative to antibiotics growth promoters and were responsible for enhancing gut health, growth performance, maintaining a balance in gut microbiota, stimulating immunity against pathogenic organisms, improving digestion, and overall production efficiency in ruminants, poultry, and swine production.It has been established that introducing feed additives to livestock, either nutritional or non-nutritional, is beneficial in manipulating the microbial ecosystem to maintain a balance in the gut microbes and thereby improving nutrient utilization, productivity, and health status of animals. Probiotic use has gained popularity in the livestock industry, especially since antimicrobial growth promoter’s use has been restricted due to the challenge of antibiotic resistance in both animals and consumers of animal products. Their usage has been linked to intestinal microbial balance and improved performance in administered animals. Even though monostrain probiotics could be beneficial, multistrain probiotics containing two or more species or strains have gained considerable attention. Combining different strains has presumably achieved several health benefits over single strains due to individual isolates’ addition and positive synergistic adhesion effects on animal health and performance. However, there has been inconsistency in the effects of the probiotic complexes in literature. This review discusses multistrain probiotics, summarizes selected literature on their effects on ruminants, poultry, and swine productivity and the various modes by which they function.

Highlights

With the rapidly increasing demand for animal food products globally, improving livestock productivity to meet the growing demand has become important to livestock producers [1]
Due to the development and spread of antimicrobials-resistant bacteria, which may threaten the health of animals and consumers of animal products, antibiotic growth promoters have been questioned for use as a livestock feed additive
The research spotlight has been on probiotics, prebiotics, symbiotics, and immunomodulators as antibiotics alternatives in the animal husbandry industry to improve livestock health and maintenance; probiotics have remarkably met the expectations of livestock breeders [3]

Summary

Introduction

With the rapidly increasing demand for animal food products globally, improving livestock productivity to meet the growing demand has become important to livestock producers [1]. In the past few years, they have been acknowledged as supplements or feed additives and antibiotic alternatives in the livestock industry based on the speculation that ingesting high levels of certain beneficial bacteria could inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria and prevent the digestive tract from pathogenic invasion [12]; this is coupled with the fact that they do not deposit dangerous residual substances or pose adverse side effects on the administered host [3] Their passage through the gastrointestinal tract of animals influences the intestinal microbiome quantitatively and qualitatively, modifying the immune system and improving health and productivity. They can be administered via several routes (Figure31), but the oral method is most common in animal husbandry

Common Probiotic Strains and Their Mode of Action

Advent of Combining Microorganisms

Multistrain Probiotic Use in Ruminants

Multistrain Probiotic Use in Poultry

Multistrain Probiotic Use in Swine

Conclusions