Inclusion Of Probiotics Research Articles

Growth performance and haematological profile of broiler chickens served dietary inclusion of probiotics (Saccharomyces cereviasae) and enzyme (bio-enzyme)

This study was conducted to evaluate the growth performance and haematological profiles of broiler chickens served dietary inclusion of probiotics (Saccharomyces cereviasae) and enzyme (Bio-enzyme). One hundred and twenty, one day-old broiler chicks of Agrited strain were used for the study. The birds were randomly allotted to four dietary treatments. Each treatment contained 30 birds replicated three times to contain 10 birds per replicate in a completely randomized design experiment. The four dietary treatments were T1 Control (no probiotics and enzyme), T2 (had both probiotics and enzyme), T3 (probiotics only) and T4 (Enzyme only). The birds were given feed and water ad-libitum and the quantity of feed consumed each day was determined through weigh back techniques while the birds were weighed weekly throughout the experimental period. The experiment lasted eight weeks. The results showed significant (p<0.05) differences in the final body weight, total weight gain, average daily weight gain, total feed intake, average daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio. Chickens on treatment 2 had the highest final body weight of 3011.57g and performed better than chickens in other dietary treatments. Similar trend was observed in the haematological profile as treatment two were highest in value across the treatments and parameters measured except in packed cell volume where the highest value (36.33 %) was recorded in treatment 4. It was concluded from the study that treatment two which contained both probiotics and enzyme performed better and thus, recommended to farmers for broiler production.

Evaluación del efecto antimicrobiano de una mezcla de probióticos frente a Cronobacter sakazakii y Salmonella enterica en preparados para lactantes reconstituidos para lactantes

Cronobacter sakazakii y Salmonella enterica son considerados patógenos capaces de causar sepsis y meningitis en lactantes. Se han descrito casos de infección por estos patógenos asociados al consumo de preparados para lactantes contaminados. La inclusión de probióticos en los preparados, además de su papel en la modulación de la microbiota intestinal, podría ser útil para contrarrestar la contaminación de microorganismos patógenos de estos productos una vez reconstituidos y, por lo tanto, reducir el riesgo de infección. El objetivo de esta investigación fue evaluar el efecto antimicrobiano de una mezcla de probióticos (Lactobacillus rhamnosus y Bifidobacterium infantis) frente a Cronobacter sakazakii y Salmonella enterica en preparados reconstituidos para lactantes. Las muestras (con o sin probióticos) se inocularon con C. sakazakii o S. enterica y se incubaron a 30 o 40ºC durante 72 horas. Los resultados muestran que la presencia de probióticos en los preparados lácteos no tiene un marcado efecto en el crecimiento de los patógenos. Sin embargo sí se ve potenciado su efecto inhibitorio frente a C. sakazakii por la interacción entre la temperatura de incubación y los probióticos. Los probióticos empleados fueron viables durante todo el período de incubación, por lo que el agotamiento de los nutrientes se descartó como posible mecanismo de inhibición. La disminución del pH en los preparados lácteos inoculados no explica de manera satisfactoria un comportamiento tan diferente entre ambos patógenos. Por lo tanto, se sugiere como posible mecanismo inhibidor la liberación de bacteriocinas específicas con acción contra C. sakazakii pero sin efecto contra Salmonella. Se deben realizar estudios adicionales para probar esta hipótesis. Cronobacter sakazakii and Salmonella enterica have been implicated in outbreaks causing sepsis and meningitis in infants. Several infection cases have been associated with the consumption of contaminated powdered infant formulae. Besides its role in modulating gut microbiota, the inclusion of probiotics in infant formulae may be useful to counteract pathogen contamination in these products and thus to reduce the risk of infection. The aim of this research was to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of a mixture of the probiotics Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium infantis against Cronobacter sakazakii and Salmonella enterica in reconstituted follow-on formulae. For that, infant formulae (with or without probiotics) were inoculated with either C. sakazakii or S. enterica and incubated at 30 or 40ºC for 72 hours. Overall, the results showed the presence of probiotics inhibiting the growth of C. sakazakii together with incubation temperature (interaction between both factors). Probiotics were viable throughout the incubation period so that nutrient exhaustion could be ruled out as the mechanism of C. sakazakii inhibition. Thus, the acidification of media observed during the study was hypothesized to be responsible for pathogen growth inhibition. However, since in the case of formulae inoculated with Salmonella the behavior of probiotics and pH values was similar to C. sakazakii, the decrease of pH does not satisfactorily explain such a different behavior. So, it is suggested that the production of specific bacteriocins by probiotics against C. sakazakii but not against Salmonellla could be the underlying inhibitory mechanism. Further studies should be carried out to test this hypothesis.

Inclusion of Probiotics into Fermented Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) Milk: An Overview of Challenges and Opportunities

Buffalo-milk-based dairy products provide various health benefits to humans since buffalo milk serves as a rich source of protein, fat, lactose, calcium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin A and natural antioxidants. Dairy products such as Meekiri, Dadih, Dadi and Lassie, which are derived from Artisanal fermentation of buffalo milk, have been consumed for many years. Probiotic potentials of indigenous microflora in fermented buffalo milk have been well documented. Incorporation of certain probiotics into the buffalo-milk-based dairy products conferred vital health benefits to the consumers, although is not a common practice. However, several challenges are associated with incorporating probiotics into buffalo-milk-based dairy products. The viability of probiotic bacteria can be reduced due to processing and environmental stress during storage. Further, incompatibility of probiotics with traditional starter cultures and high acidity of fermented dairy products may lead to poor viability of probiotics. The weak acidifying performance of probiotics may affect the organoleptic quality of fermented dairy products. Besides these challenges, several innovative technologies such as the use of microencapsulated probiotics, ultrasonication, the inclusion of prebiotics, use of appropriate packaging and optimal storage conditions have been reported, promising stability and viability of probiotics in buffalo-milk-based fermented dairy products.

Reproductive physiology of Rhamdia quelen is improved by dietary inclusion of probiotics

This study evaluated the effects of a probiotic additive on reproductive variables of the silver catfish (Rhamdia quelen). Three hundred juveniles (initial mean weight 17.35 ± 0.97 g) were fed for 90 days with diets containing increasing levels of a probiotic additive (0.15, 0.30, 0.45 and 0.60 g/kg of feed), which consisted of a blend between Bacillus subtilis and B. cereus, both at a concentration of 4 × 1011 CFU/g, and a control diet without the additive. In males, the presence of the probiotic had an effect on relative seminal volume, sperm cells’ survival, gonadosomatic, hepatosomatic and viscerosomatic indexes, as well as transpose beat frequency, displacement velocity, motility rate and straightness of sperm cells. In females, the probiotic inclusion resulted in presented better in spawning and fertilization rates, viscerosomatic fat accumulation and development of germ cells. Additionally, the hepatic integrity and hepatocyte developmental characteristics were preserved by the presence of the probiotic additive. Thus, the inclusion of 0.60 g/kg of the probiotic could be recommended for the improvement of the reproductive performance of R. quelen.

Probiotic supplementation for enhanced growth of striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) in cages

At present, the application of probiotics in aquaculture is gaining wide acceptance for its beneficial effect on fish production. This study focused on evaluating the potency of a commercial multi-strain probiotic on mean growth, feed utilization parameters, yield and survival for profitable cage culture of striped catfish, Pangasianodon hypophthalmus at haor floodplain of Bangladesh. The present study was designed using five treatments (n = 3) in which the fishes were fed commercial pellet diets enriched with 0 % (Control – P0.00), 0.1 % (P0.10), 0.15 % (P0.15), 0.2 % (P0.20) and 0.25 % (P0.25) probiotic. kg−1 feed for 12 weeks. End of the culture period, the fish groups fed probiotic supplemented diets exhibited significant improvement in growth parameters. Weight gain, survival rate, relative growth rate, specific growth rate and protein efficiency ratio were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in P0.20 (808.44 ± 3.67 g, 96.71 ± 0.16 %, 1496.12 ± 2.69 %, 3.08 ± 0.01 % and 3.03 ± 0.01) compared to P0.00, P0.10 and P0.15. The feed conversion ratio significantly (P < 0.05) decreased in P0.20 (1.21 ± 0.01) than other treatments. Significantly (P < 0.05) higher production of P. hypophthalmus was attained in P0.20 (17.20 ± 0.05 kg.m−3), which ultimately boosted gross revenue. The highest benefit-cost ratio was obtained from P0.20 (1.54 ± 0.00). The growth and economic parameters did not exhibit any significant difference between P0.20 and P0.25. However, minimal probiotic inclusion is preferable for its reduced input cost. The overall results indicated that 0.2 % dietary probiotic supplementation hones the growth, yield and survival for profitable floodplain cage culture.

Probiotics (Direct-Fed Microbials) in Poultry Nutrition and Their Effects on Nutrient Utilization, Growth and Laying Performance, and Gut Health: A Systematic Review.

Simple SummaryProbiotics are live bacteria, fungi, or yeasts that supplement the gastrointestinal flora and help to maintain a healthy digestive system, thereby promoting the growth performance and overall health of poultry. Probiotics are increasingly being included in poultry diets as an alternative to antibiotics. This systematic review provides a summary of the use of probiotics in poultry production and the potential role of probiotics in the nutrient utilization, growth and laying performance, and gut health of poultry.Probiotics are live microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer health benefits to the host. The use of probiotics in poultry has increased steadily over the years due to higher demand for antibiotic-free poultry. The objective of this systematic review is to present and evaluate the effects of probiotics on the nutrient utilization, growth and laying performance, gut histomorphology, immunity, and gut microbiota of poultry. An electronic search was conducted using relevant keywords to include papers pertinent to the topic. Seventeen commonly used probiotic species were critically assessed for their roles in the performance and gut health of poultry under existing commercial production conditions. The results showed that probiotic supplementation could have the following effects: (1) modification of the intestinal microbiota, (2) stimulation of the immune system, (3) reduction in inflammatory reactions, (4) prevention of pathogen colonization, (5) enhancement of growth performance, (6) alteration of the ileal digestibility and total tract apparent digestibility coefficient, and (7) decrease in ammonia and urea excretion. Thus, probiotics can serve as a potential alternative to antibiotic growth promoters in poultry production. However, factors such as the intestinal health condition of birds, the probiotic inclusion level; and the incubation conditions, feedstuff, and water quality offered to birds may affect the outcome. This systematic review provides a summary of the use of probiotics in poultry production, as well as the potential role of probiotics in the nutrient utilization, growth and laying performance, and gut health of poultry.

EFFECTS OF BAC-TRAT® PROBIOTIC COMPLEX ON GROWTH, HEMATOLOGICAL AND INTESTINAL PARAMETERS OF NILE TILAPIA, REARED AT LOW TEMPERATURES

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the BAC-TRAT® probiotic complex applied on diet and in the rearing water of Nile tilapia, maintained at low temperatures. Three treatments were evaluated: control (absence of the probiotic: T0), probiotic applied to the water (T1) and a diet with probiotic (T2). Productive performance of Nile tilapia was not affected by the probiotic inclusion (p&gt;0.05). The hematological parameters were influenced by treatments, with leukocytes and lymphocytes presenting lower concentrations in T2. Regarding to the whole-fish body composition, the inclusion of the probiotic in the water led to significant increases in the ether extract concentration, whilst the ash contents was higher in the treatments T1 and T2. Regarding histomorphometry parameters of the intestine, was observed that villi height and thickness of the muscle tunic were higher in T1 in comparison to T0. For the hepatic tissue, T2 determined the lowest values of perimeter, area and volume, and the qualitative evaluation revealed little and intermediate vacuolization in all treatments. It was concluded that despite contributing for the increase of intestinal villi area, the use of BAC-TRAT® probiotic complex at low temperatures does not have beneficial effects on Nile tilapia growth.

Probiotics in the Complex Treatment of Various Diseases of the Gastrointestinal Tract

Aim. To present up-to-date information on the role of microbiota and its disorders in the development of various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), including functional diseases, as well as to consider current methods of correction and maintenance of normal microbiota. General findings. The human microbiome affects many organs at the biochemical, molecular and genetic levels. It has been confirmed that the microbiome participates in the development of inflammatory and functional diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, affects the immune system, central nervous system and mental status. An important problem of everyday medical practice consists in the management of patients with functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. The “7 × 7” questionnaire created in 2014 by a group of specialists from I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University in collaboration with Valenta Pharm allows dynamic evaluation of the clinical course of functional gastrointestinal diseases. The most frequent functional gastrointestinal disorder – irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) – is characterized by a quantitative and qualitative change in the intestinal microflora, which, together with inflammatory changes in the intestinal wall, may act as a trigger for the onset of symptoms, as well as lead to a functional change in the receptor apparatus of pain pathways. Over the last decade, the number of studies on the use of probiotics for the treatment of various gastrointestinal diseases has increased significantly. The pathogenetic effect of the change in the normal ratio of microorganisms in the intestine proves the inclusion of probiotics in the complex treatment of functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract to be reasonable. Conclusion. Improved methods for assessing the microbiome state allows evaluation of the composition of the human intestine microflora in various diseases, thus facilitating the search for new approaches to correcting and maintaining the normal ratio of microorganisms for managing patients with various gastrointestinal diseases.

Effects of dietary probiotic (Pediococcus acidilactici) supplementation on productive performance, egg quality, and body composition in laying hens fed diets varying in energy density

This study was conducted to determine the effect of probiotic Pediococcus acidilactici (PA) strain MA18/5M supplementation of diets with different dietary energy levels on productive performance, egg quality, and body composition in Hy-Line Brown hens during a 16-week period from 32 to 47 wk of age. The experimental treatments with a 2 × 2 factorial design received a 2 wheat–corn–soybean diet: a moderately low energy density diet with 2,650 kcal ME/kg (M-LED) and a low energy density diet based on the M-LED diet with 2,550 kcal ME/kg (LED), each diet without and with probiotic supplementation (M-LED, LED, M-LEDp, and LEDp, respectively). Reduced dietary energy levels had a particularly negative effect on egg weight (61.7 vs. 63.3 g; −2.6%, P < 0.001), egg mass output (1.67 vs. 1.71 kg; −2.4%, P = 0.015), and FCR (2.01 vs. 1.97 kg feed/kg egg; +2%, P = 0.028). In hens administered the LED diet, deteriorated productive performance was accompanied by greater body weight loss (P < 0.001) and reduced abdominal fat content (P < 0.033) as compared with the M-LED group. Dietary probiotic inclusion increased egg weight (P = 0.015), including relative eggshell weight (P = 0.008) and eggshell thickness (P = 0.002) and significantly improved FCR (P = 0.010). No interactions between the PA-based probiotic and dietary energy levels were found in any of the tested parameters. Adding the probiotic on top of the M-LED diet improved layers performance but resulted in nonbioequivalence for the egg weight, egg mass output, and FCR compared with this group without probiotic. Probiotic supplementation of the LEDp diet improved all performance parameters except for egg weight. As a result, the laying rate, egg mass output, daily feed intake, and FCR in the LEDp treatment were bioequivalent to those noted in the M-LED group without the probiotic. The results of a bioequivalence test suggest that a low energy diet fed to laying hens promoted a probiotic response to improve energy utilization by birds.

Development of a bioactive synbiotic edible film based on cassava starch, inulin, and Lactobacillus casei

One of the most important trends in the development of edible films is the inclusion of both probiotics and prebiotics in the polymeric matrix, so they can play an active role in the health of consumers. In this paper, a synbiotic film made from cassava starch as polymeric matrix, inulin as prebiotic molecule, and L. casei as the probiotic bacteria was developed. Several assays have been conducted on the effect of inulin concentration on the rheological, mechanical, barrier, and optical properties of the films, as well as on the effect of including probiotic bacteria in the films. Results showed that inulin has a plasticizing effect on the polymeric matrix, thus increasing its elongation at break, while reducing its tensile strength. Furthermore, the high water solubility of inulin increases significantly the film's water vapor permeability, so a threshold of 0.5% inulin was chosen for probiotic bacteria inclusion. Viability of L. casei during the film storage at 10 and 25 °C was also studied. Results showed reduced viability due to storage stress. However, this was slower at lower temperatures. Viability in simulated gastric conditions was also studied, lower viability values on cassava starch films that when inulin was included. Given that cassava starch is known for its low resistance to acid hydrolysis that leaves L. casei unprotected in gastric media; however, inulin seems to have a protective effect on the probiotic bacteria, thus decreasing the viability loss.

English

The use of antimicrobial agents and antibiotics as remedial measures against fish diseases has been questioned. The huge amounts of antibiotics used in animal husbandry has exerted a very strong selection pressure on the resistance among bacteria, which have adapted to this situation, mainly by a horizontal and philandering flow of resistance genes. Prebiotics, probiotics and symbiotics have been proposed as strategic means to enhance feed utilization, growth and immunity in fish production. In the present trial, a total of 180 fish was divided into 4 groups of 3 replicates each. Each replicate contained 15 fish. The formulated diets were supplemented with prebiotic (Sargassum muticum), probiotic (Parkia biglobosa) and symbiotics (a combination of Parkia biglobosa and Sargassum muticum). Efficiency of the inclusion of prebiotics, probiotics and symbiotics in formulated diets was evaluated in African catfish, Clarias gariepinus fingerlings (mean weight 2.53&plusmn;0.05g). Formulated diet was fed 5% body weight to a group of 15 fish (in 3 replica) for 12 weeks, compared to fish fed control pellet containing similar ingredients but was not supplemented. Results showed on the skin of fish fed probiotics diet recorded improved GST and SOD activity and less CAT activity whereas in the liver fish fed prebiotic and symbiotic diet showed improved GST and CAT activity relative to the control. There were significant (p&lt;0.05) differences between fish fed the control diet and all treatments (prebiotic, probiotic, symbiotics). It may be concluded based on the results recorded in this study that prebiotics, probiotics and symbiotics supplementation in diets has positive effect on antioxidant enzyme activity in African catfish, Clarias gariepinus to improve resistance against bacterial infections. Key words: African catfish, antioxidant enzyme, feed utilization, growth, diets. &nbsp

Effects of Bacillus subtilis supplementation in soybean meal-based diets on growth performance, diet digestibility and gut health in bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus

An 8-week feeding experiment was carried out to evaluate the supplemental effects of Bacillus subtilis in all-plant protein diets on growth, nutrients digestibility, and intestinal histomorphology and microbial composition in bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus. Totally four diets were prepared: a non-supplemented control diet and three probiotic diets containing 1 × 105, 1 × 107 or 1 × 109 CFU g−1 of B. subtilis (Con, BS5, BS7 and BS9 diets). The experiment was done in triplicates and bullfrogs averaging 42.5 ± 0.2 g were fed to visual satiety twice daily. No significant changes in growth, feed utilization, body composition and survival rate were found by probiotic application (P > 0.05). However, significant improvements in apparent digestibility coefficients of protein, calcium and phosphorus were found by probiotic supplementation. Moreover, whole-body phosphorous and calcium contents were enhanced by probiotic administration. The highest villus height and thickness were recorded in the BS5 group. Operational taxonomic unit (OTU) diversity and richness significantly increased by application of 1 × 107 CFU g-1 of B. subtilis. Furthermore, B. subtilis abundance in the gut was enhanced with increasing the probiotic inclusion level indicating the successful establishment of the probiotic. The findings in this research showed that supplementing 1 × 107 CFU g−1 of B. subtilis in soybean meal-based diets for bullfrog beneficially influences nutrients digestibility and uptake, and intestinal structure and microbial composition.

Sensory methods applied to the development of probiotic and prebiotic foods.

Food containing probiotics and prebiotics is one of the top-selling functional foods around the world. For the foods containing probiotics and prebiotics to be successful, their inclusion can not detract from a consumers' liking of the food product or impart negative sensory properties in the food product. Sensory analysis must be completed to ensure the inclusion of prebiotics and probiotics does not detract from the food item. Sensory analysis allows food product developers to make educated decisions and evaluate the sensory properties of new food products, including functional foods containing probiotics and prebiotics. Additionally, food product developers need a clear understanding of which method or technique should be used based on the objective of the testing, experimental design, validity and reliability of the method. This chapter focuses on the importance of sensory evaluation techniques in the development of functional food containing prebiotics and probiotics. Examples of sensory methodologies and their application to the production of food containing probiotics and prebiotics will be presented.

Growth performances and meat yield characteristics of commercial cockerels fed antibiotic and probiotic.

Objective:The current research aimed at investigating growth performances and meat yield characteristics of commercial cockerels supplemented with antibiotics and probiotics to the diet.Materials and methods:A total of 1,350 commercial cockerels (ISA Brown) were indiscriminately distributed to 3 treatment groups, each having three replications of 150-day-old chicks based on completely randomized design. The basal diet was treated as the control, while the experimental groups receiving Enrofloxacin 1 gm/kg and Protexin 1 gm/kg feed were considered as antibiotic and probiotic groups, respectively. Bodyweight, feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and other relevant characteristics were recorded weekly until 49 days of trial. In the end, similar number (10) of birds from each replicate group were slaughtered to determine the carcass characteristics.Results:Significantly, better results were found in the overall growth performances of the cockerels in the probiotic-fed treatment group. Highly significant differences were also found in live bodyweight, weight gain, daily gain, FI, FCR, survivability, dressing percentage, abdominal fat, breast meat, drumstick, and thigh weight in the probiotic-fed treatment group compared to the others.Conclusion:The results of the present study indicate that the inclusion of dietary probiotics has a superior performance to antibiotics and may have the potentiality to be used as an alternative growth enhancer in the diet of cockerels.

Composition and inclusion of probiotics in broiler diets alter intestinal permeability and spleen immune cell profiles without negatively affecting performance1.

Probiotic feed additives with potential to enhance performance, health, and immunity have gained considerable popularity in commercial broiler production. The study objectives were to measure broiler performance, gut integrity, and splenic immune cell profiles in birds fed one of two probiotics at two inclusion levels. Nine hundred sixty Ross 708 broilers (12 per pen) were randomly assigned to no additive control, 0.05% or 0.10% LactoCare (Lactobacillus reuteri), or 0.05% or 0.10% LactoPlan (Lactobacillus plantarum) dietary treatments for 6 wk. On day 27, a 20-pen subset was utilized for a fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran (FITC-d) assay, where half of the pens were subject to a 12-h feed restriction (FR) pregavage. Serum collected from blood drawn 1-h postgavage was analyzed for relative fluorescence of FITC-d absorbed across the intestinal barrier as a gut leakiness indicator. On day 42, spleens from eight birds per treatment were collected for immune cell profile analysis by multicolor flow cytometry. Although performance outcomes were not affected by dietary treatment, FITC-d absorption post-FR was increased 57% in the 0.05% LactoPlan treatment, and was decreased by 12.6% in the 0.05% LactoCare diet, 12% in the 0.10% LactoCare diet, and 22% in the 0.10% LactoPlan diet compared with the control. This indicates a positive impact in barrier integrity maintenance due to 0.05% and 0.10% LactoCare and 0.10% LactoPlan diet following a challenge. Immune cell profiles varied between the two probiotic compositions, with an approximately 50% reduction in splenic innate immune cells (monocyte/macrophage+) in birds fed LactoPlan (P < 0.0001) and greater overall percentages of CD45+ leukocytes and CD3+ T cells in birds fed 0.10% LactoCare (P < 0.0001). LactoPlan diets shifted splenic T-cell populations in favor of CD8α + cytotoxic T cells (TC; P = 0.007), while higher inclusions (0.10%) of either probiotic increased the percentage of activated CD4+ helper T cells (TH; P < 0.0001). These results indicate that compositionally different probiotics had varying effects on the gut permeability and splenic immune cell profiles in broiler chickens, particularly at higher inclusion rates, but observed changes to underlying physiology did not negatively impact performance outcomes. The ability of a probiotic to alter gut permeability and immune cell profile, therefore, may depend on the compositional complexity of the product as well as inclusion rate.

Short‐term effect of the inoculation of probiotics in mature bioflocs: Water quality parameters and abundance of heterotrophic and ammonia‐oxidizing bacteria

The aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term effect of probiotic inoculation on the abundance of heterotrophic and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in mature biofloc, as well as on total suspended solids (TSS), chlorophyll-a and nitrogenous compounds in water. A completely randomized design consisting of five treatments (three commercial probiotics, one native consortia and one control) was performed. At the beginning of the experiment (day 1), each treatment was inoculated with the respective probiotic: PondPlus® (PP), Efinol® PT (EF) and Epicin® ponds (EP), native consortia UE, whereas the control was not inoculated. Water parameters and bacterial abundance were evaluated at 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 days. The addition of probiotics, either native or commercial, did not show any significant effect on the TSS, Chl-a and colony-forming unit (CFU) of heterotrophic bacteria when they were added to the systems containing mature biofloc. A significant increase in ammonium oxidizing bacteria was registered with the probiotics PP and EP, although the levels of total ammonia nitrogen, NO3-N and NO2-N were statistically similar among all treatments. Modifications on most of the parameters measured were associated with the factor of time, rather than the inclusion of probiotics. Results suggest that the bacterial conglomerates in mature stage contain well-established bacterial communities that are difficult to be affected by the addition of probiotics.

128 Effects of a Bacillus-based probiotic and prebiotics on nursery pig performance, fecal consistency, and fecal microflora

Abstract This study evaluated the progeny of sows fed a control or probiotic diet with Bacillus subtilis C-3102 (Calsporin®, Calpis Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) at 500,000 and 1,000,000 CFU/g diet in gestation and lactation, respectively. A total of 358 weaned pigs (DNA 241 × 600) were used in a 42-d trial with 4–5 pigs/pen and 18–19 pens/treatment. Pens were allotted to treatments in a completely randomized design based on BW at weaning. Treatments were a 2×2 factorial with main effects of sow diet (control vs. probiotic) and nursery diet (control vs. probiotic). In the nursery probiotic diet, a product based on probiotic Bacillus subtilis C-3102 at 500,000 CFU/g diet and prebiotics β-glucans and mannan oligosaccharides was included at 0.05% (BacPack ABF™, Quality Technology International, Inc., Elgin, IL). Diets were corn-soybean meal-based. Growth performance and fecal consistency on a 1-to-5 scale were evaluated weekly. Fecal samples were collected for microbial analysis by culture method and bacterial quantification of Bacillus subtilis C-3102, total Bacillus sp., Lactobacillus sp., Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella spp., Enterococcus sp., Enterobacteriaceae, total aerobes, and total anaerobes. Data were analyzed using a linear mixed model (PROC GLIMMIX, SAS®) with pen as experimental unit. There was no evidence for effect of sow diet, nursery diet, or interactions (P &gt; 0.10) on overall nursery growth performance and fecal consistency. However, growth performance from d 21 to 42 and final BW were greater (P &lt; 0.05) in progeny of control-fed sows compared to probiotic-fed sows. Microbial analysis revealed an increase (P &lt; 0.01) in Bacillus subtilis C-3102 and, consequently, total Bacillus sp. in fecal microflora of probiotic-fed pigs. In conclusion, probiotic inclusion to sow diets lowered growth performance of the progeny in late nursery. The probiotic diet provided to sows or nursery pigs did not influence fecal consistency, but altered the fecal microbial population in nursery pigs by increasing total Bacillus sp.

Influence of dietary probiotic inclusion on growth performance, nutrient utilization, ruminal fermentation activities and methane production in growing lambs

The use of two probiotic products as a means of improving in vitro and ruminal dry matter digestibility, fermentation characteristics and growth performance of Barki lambs were evaluated. The probiotic products in powder (PP) or liquid (PL) forms were produced from Ruminococcus flavefaciens, through an anaerobic fermentation process. Barki lambs (n = 30; 24.5 ± 0.5 kg body weight) were used in a completely randomized block design and randomly assigned among three experimental groups and fed for 75 days. Lambs were fed an equal amount of concentrate feed mixture with either no probiotic product (control), or with 20 g of PP, or 10 ml of PL per animal/d, with rice straw ad libitum. Both PP and PL treatments resulted in an increase (p < 0.05) in nearly all of the digestibility coefficients, nitrogen utilization, cell wall constituents, total volatile fatty acids, rumen volume, microbial nitrogen synthesis, gas production and average daily gain compared to the control group. Ruminal ammonia nitrogen, acetic acid and in vitro methane concentrations and protozoa count decreased (p < 0.03) in the treatment groups. Overall, the probiotic in a powder or liquid form increased in vitro dry matter digestibility, improved lambs daily gain and nutrient digestibility.

The Effect of Dietary Inclusion of Probiotics on Growth and Intestinal Morphology of Broiler Chickens

The Effect of Dietary Inclusion of Probiotics on Growth and Intestinal Morphology of Broiler Chickens

Dietary supplementation of probiotic Bacillus coagulans ATCC 7050, improves the growth performance, intestinal morphology, microflora, immune response, and disease confrontation of Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei

The present study assessed the effects of probiotic bacterium Bacillus coagulans ATCC 7050 (BC) fed at different inclusion levels (0 (BO), 1 × 106 (BC1), 1 × 107 (BC2) and 1 × 108 (BC3) CFU g−1 feed) on growth, feed utilization, body composition, intestinal morphology, microflora, immune response, and resistance to Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection in Litopenaeus vannamei. After 56 days of the feeding trial, the survival rate ranged from 83.33 to 94.17% with no significant difference between dietary treatments (P > 0.05). Dietary probiotic supplementation also affected the intestinal microflora composition. At the phylum level, Proteobacteria accounted for the majority of bacteria followed by Bacteroidetes irrespective of the group. At the genus level, the abundance of opportunistic pathogenic bacteria, such as Vibrio, Tenacibaculum, and Photobacterium significantly decreased (P < 0.05) with an increasing probiotic concentration, and BC3 group experiencing the least. Additionally, increasing probiotic inclusion in diet downregulated the abundance of Muricauda, Kangiella, and Shewanella in shrimps, with the least, observed in the BC3 group. However, beneficial bacteria Pseudoalteromonas significantly increased (P < 0.05) in the intestines of shrimp fed BC3 diet (P < 0.05) compared to other groups including the control. Compared to the control, a significant increase (P < 0.05) of the probiotic treated groups in the final weight, weight gain rate (WGR), specific growth rate (SGR), condition factor (K), activity of lysozyme (LYZ), acid phosphatase (ACP), superoxide dismutase (SOD), total protein (TP), albumin (ALB) in serum, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in serum and liver, and a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in feed conversion ratio (FCR), triglyceride (TG) in serum, and Malondialdehyde (MDA) in serum and liver were achieved. Increasing probiotic treatment again improved the digestive ability, thus; a significant increase in the activities of lipase, amylase, trypsin, and an enhancement in the villus height, villus width, and muscle thickness of the intestines of the shrimps which correspondingly alleviated intestinal injury. Furthermore, the supplementation of probiotics in challenge test significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced the resistance of shrimp against V. parahaemolyticus infection recording BC3 to receive the highest relative percentage survival (RPS) value of 76%. In conclusion, higher inclusion levels of probiotic BC at 1 × 108 CFU g−1 feed (BC3) in diets can be considered to enhance the growth, intestinal morphology and microflora, immune response and resistance to Vibrio parahaemolyticus of L. vannamei.