Lactobacillus Agilis Research Articles

A small variation in diet influences the Lactobacillus strain composition in the crop of broiler chickens

Feed composition has the potential to influence the activities of bacteria that colonize the digestive tract of broiler chickens with important consequences for animal health, well being, and food safety. In this study, the gut microbiota of two groups of broiler chickens raised in immediate vicinity but fed either a standard corn/soybean meal ration (corn–soy, CS) or a ration high in wheat middlings (high wheat, HW) was characterized. The findings revealed that this small variation in feed composition did not influence the distribution of microbial species present in the microbial community throughout the digestive tract. However, diet variation markedly influenced the Lactobacillus strain composition in the crop. Most striking, the dominant type in birds on the CS diet ( Lactobacillus agilis type R5), which comprised 25% of the isolates, was not detected in birds fed the HW diet. The latter birds harbored a different strain of L. agilis (type R1) in a significantly higher ratio than birds on the CS diet. Several other strains were also specific to the particular diet. In conclusion, this study showed that a small variation in the composition of chicken feed that does not result in detectable differences in species composition can still have an impact on which microbial strains become dominant in the digestive tract. This finding has relevance in the application of probiotics and other direct-fed microbials in poultry husbandry.

Selected microbial groups and short-chain fatty acids profile in a simulated chicken cecum supplemented with two strains of Lactobacillus

Among the bacterial fermentation end products in the chicken cecum, butyrate is of particular importance because of its nutritional properties for the epithelial cell and pathogen inhibitory effects in the gut. An in vitro experiment, operated with batch bioreactor, was conducted to quantify butyric-producing bacteria in a simulated broiler cecum supplemented with Lactobacillus salivarius ssp. salicinius JCM 1230 and Lactobacillus agilis JCM 1048 during 24 h of incubation. Selected bacterial species were determined by real-time PCR and short-chain fatty acids and lactate concentrations were monitored. The results showed that after 24 h of incubation, Lactobacillus supplementation significantly increased the number of lactobacilli, bifidobacteria and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii in medium containing cecal content and lactobacilli supplementation (Cc + L) compared with the control (Cc). Addition of lactobacilli did not alter Escherichia coli and Clostridium butyricum, whereas it significantly (P < 0.05) reduced Salmonella in treatment Cc + L compared with the Cc treatment. Propionate and butyrate formation were significantly (P < 0.05) increased in treatment Cc + L as compared with the Cc treatment. Lactate was only detected in treatment containing 2 Lactobacillus strains. After 24 h of incubation, acetate concentration significantly (P < 0.05) decreased in all treatments. It was suggested that lactate produced by Lactobacillus in the cecal content improved the growth of butyric producers such as F. prausnitzii, which significantly increased butyrate accumulation. Additionally, the results showed that butyrate and propionate inhibited Salmonella without influencing the E. coli profile.

In vitrofermentation of broiler cecal content: the role of lactobacilli and pH value on the composition of microbiota and end products fermentation

To assess the probiotic effects of Lactobacillus agilis JCM 1048 and L. salivarius ssp. salicinius JCM 1230 and the pH on the cecal microflora of chicken and metabolic end products. An in vitro system, operated with batch bioreactor, was used for this assessment. Selected bacterial species were monitored at two pH values, over 24 h of batch culture incubation. The concentration of short chain fatty acids (SCFA) and lactate in the fermented material was also determined. The addition of L. agilis JCM 1048 and L. salivarius ssp. salicinius JCM 1230 into vessel 2 (Cc + P) increased the total anaerobes, lactobacilli and bifidobacteria after 24 h incubation. Moreover, lactobacilli supplementation decreased the total aerobes and streptococci, but it did not have any effects on coliforms. The supplementation of lactobacilli in vessel 2 (Cc + P) was found to significantly increase the production of lactate, propionate and butyrate. Furthermore, pH did not alter the formation of butyrate, whereas the production of acetate and propionate was significantly decreased at pH = 5.8. L. agilis JCM 1048 and L. salivarius ssp. salicinius JCM 1230, as probiotic bacteria, have the ability to re-establish proper microbial balance by the formation of lactate as well as propionate, and stimulate butyrate-producing bacteria to produce butyrate in the chicken cecum. This study was the first to report this under in vitro conditions, highlighting the probiotic roles of the two Lactobacillus strains in broiler cecal fermentation at different initial pH. These useful data can be helpful in improving the fermentation process in chicken cecum.

Utilization of soybean vinasse for α-galactosidase production

The enzyme α-galactosidase was produced by submerged fermentation using as substrate the soybean vinasse, a residue of the alcoholic fermentation of soybean molasses. Soybean molasses is a by-product of the protein-concentrate soybean meal production. The strain Lactobacillus agilis LPB 56 was selected among nine for presenting the highest enzymatic activity. The C:N relation in the vinasse-based inoculum medium was optimized and adjusted in 6 with yeast extract. The effects of soluble solids concentration in the fermentation medium, C:N relation and size of inoculum were investigated. Results demonstrated that the medium concentration of 30% soluble solids, with a C:N relation of 9, and size of inoculum of 25% (v/v) were the best conditions for α-galactosidase production. The highest enzyme activity (11.07 U/mL) was achieved after 144 h of fermentation.

Yeasts and lactic acid bacteria microbiota from masau ( Ziziphus mauritiana) fruits and their fermented fruit pulp in Zimbabwe

Masau are Zimbabwean wild fruits, which are usually eaten raw and/ or processed into products such as porridge, traditional cakes, mahewu and jam. Yeasts, yeast-like fungi, and lactic acid bacteria present on the unripe, ripe and dried fruits, and in the fermented masau fruits collected from Muzarabani district in Zimbabwe were isolated and identified using physiological and molecular methods. The predominant species were identified as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Issatchenkia orientalis, Pichia fabianii and Aureobasidium pullulans. A. pullulans was the dominant species on the unripe fruits but was not isolated from the fermented fruit pulp. S. cerevisiae and I. orientalis were predominant in the fermented fruit pulp but were not detected in the unripe fruits. S. cerevisiae, I. orientalis, P. fabianii and S. fibuligera are fermentative yeasts and these might be used in the future development of starter cultures to produce better quality fermented products from masau fruit. Lactic acid bacteria were preliminary identified and the predominant strains found were Lactobacillus agilis and L. plantarum. Other species identified included L. bifermentans, L. minor, L. divergens, L. confusus, L. hilgardii, L. fructosus, L. fermentum and Streptococcus spp. Some of the strains of LAB could also potentially be used in a mixed-starter culture with yeasts and might contribute positively in the production of fermented masau fruit products.

Effects of Two Probiotic Lactobacillus Strains on Jejunal and Cecal Microbiota of Broiler Chicken under Acute Heat Stress Condition as Revealed by Molecular Analysis of 16S rRNA Genes

We examined the effects of probiotic Lactobacillus strains of Lactobacillus agilis JCM 1048 and Lactobacillus salivarius subsp. salicinius JCM 1230 on jejunal and cecal microbiota of broiler chicken under heat stress condition using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis. The jejunal bacterial community was limited to a few bacterial groups, mostly Lactobacillus spp. A relatively abundant and higher prevalence of Lactobacillus spp. were observed in the jejunal and cecal microbiota of the probiotic chickens compared with those of the control chickens under heat stress condition. In general, the probiotic strains did not significantly affect the abundance of L. agilis and L. salivarius in chicken intestine but clearly contributed to increasing their prevalence in the probiotic chickens. The probiotic Lactobacillus strains enriched the diversity of Lactobacillus flora in chicken jejunum and cecum by increasing the abundance and prevalence of Lactobacillus spp. inhabiting the intestine. The richness of Lactobacillus species tended to be similar among the jejunal and cecal microbiota. The bacterial community of cecum was complex and age-dependent. The major components of the cecal microbiota were clostridia and lactobacilli. The Clostridium subcluster XIVa was the most predominant group in chicken cecum. Probiotic Lactobacillus strains restored the microbial balance and maintained the natural stability of indigenous bacterial microbiota following heat stress-induced changes.

Impact of two probiotic Lactobacillus strains feeding on fecal lactobacilli and weight gains in chicken.

Two probiotic strains, Lactobacillus agilis JCM 1048 and L. salivarius subsp. salicinius JCM 1230 isolated from chicken intestine, exhibited probiotic characteristics that can be applied for chicken production. After 7 days of probiotic feeding (FD7), the count of intestinal lactobacilli in the probiotic group (group P, n=10) was significantly (p<0.05) higher than that in the control group (group C, n=9). After 40 days of probiotic feeding (FD40), the lactobacilli and enterococci counts were stable but the Enterobacteriaceae number was significantly reduced (p<0.05). A total of 163 isolated lactobacilli were identified as the L. acidophilus/gallinarum group (49.7%), L. agilis (30.7%), L. salivarius (9.2%), L. reuteri (9.2%), and Lactobacillus spp. (1.2%). The probiotic lactobacilli positively affected the Lactobacillus biota in chickens at FD7, with a significant increase in the number (p<0.05) of L. agilis and group P. The viable counts of each Lactobacillus species at FD40, however, showed no differences between two groups. An increasing incidence of L. agilis was also noted with probiotic feeding. The probiotic effect of two strains resulted in significantly increased weight gains (10.7%) of group P in comparison with group C at FD40 (p<0.01).

Lactobacillus agilis is an important component of the pigeon crop flora.

To examine the presence of lactic acid bacteria (LAB: enterococci, streptococci and lactobacilli) in the pigeon crop. The crops of 10 pigeons were sampled and inoculated on agar plates for isolation of streptococci, enterococci and lactobacilli. The isolates were identified using tDNA-PCR. Lactobacillus agilis, a species described in 1981 from municipal sewage, was the dominant component in eight of these pigeon crop sacs. A Lactobacillus species related to L. fermentum and L. mucosae but probably not belonging to one of these species was isolated from five birds. Three pigeons carried Enterococcus cecorum. Minor species found were E. columbae, E. faecalis, E. hirae, L. johnsonii, L. salivarius, and Streptococcus gallolyticus. A description is given of the phenotypic characteristics of the L. agilis pigeon strains. L. agilis is found to be the main component of the LAB flora in the pigeon crop.

Degradation of sinigrin by Lactobacillus agilis strain R16

Forty-two lactobacilli were screened for their potential to degrade glucosinolate sinigrin. One of them, strain R16, demonstrated a high level of sinigrin degradation; it was identified as Lactobacillus agilis. The sinigrin degrading activity of L. agilis R16 could only be demonstrated when intact cells were used. The products of sinigrin degradation are allyl-isothiocyanate (AITC) and glucose (which is further fermented to dl-lactic acid), suggesting that myrosinase activity is involved. The activity was induced by the presence of sinigrin. Glucose inhibited the myrosinase activity, even in induced cells. Lactobacillus agilis R16 was able to grow on an extract of brown mustard seed and caused glucosinolate degradation.

Lactobacillus sharpeae sp.nov. and Lactobacillus agilis sp.nov., two new species of homofermentative, meso-diaminopimelic acid-containing lactobacilli isolated from sewage

Summary Of 477 strains of lactobacilli isolated from municipal sewage 30 homofermentative, L( + )-lactic acid producing strains containing meso-diaminopimelic acid in their cell walls could not be allotted to one of the so-far described species when in a first attempt of identification a limited number of key criteria was applied. Taxonomic studies including DNA-DNA hybridization led to the description of two new species, namely Lactobacillus sharpeae sp.nov . and Lactobacillus agilis sp.nov .